Housing
Legislators Join Landlords to Defeat Statewide Protections Against “No-Cause” Evictions
On Thursday, May 31, a proposal to enact statewide eviction protections by Assemblymember Bob Bonta (D-Oakland) was defeated in the California Legislature.
Legislators beholden to the big monied interests of real estate and landlord lobbies double-crossed tenants throughout the state by defeating AB 2925, a bill that would require landlords to have a “good reason” to evict a tenant from their housing.
If passed, the bill would have prohibited landlords from terminating a tenancy except for reasons such as “nonpayment of rent,” or “breach of contract.”
Currently, in many cities throughout California, landlords may evict for any reason at all, or no reason at all (except retaliation).
Just Cause eviction protection laws help stabilize communities by slowing down the existing “eviction-for-profit system,” which is a cause of the merciless and tragic ever-growing homeless population of families that losing their housing.
Assemblymembers in support of Just Cause: Bloom, Bonta, Chau, Chiu, Chu, Friedman, Gipson, Gonzalez Fletcher, Holden, Jones-Sawyer, Kalra, Mullin, Mark Stone, Thurmond, Ting, Rendon.
Assemblymembers who opposed just cause: Acosta, Aguiar-Curry, Travis Allen, Arambula, Baker, Berman, Bigelow, Brough, Burke, Caballero, Calderon, Carrillo, Cervantes, Chávez, Chen, Choi, Cooley, Cooper, Cunningham, Dahle, Daly, Eggman, Flora, Fong, Frazier, Gallagher, Gloria, Cristina Garcia, Eduardo Garcia, Gray, Grayson, Harper, Irwin, Kamlager-Dove, Kiley, Lackey, Levine, Limon, Low, Maienschein, Muratsuchi, Mathis, Mayes, McCarty, Medina, Melendez, Nazarian, Obernolte, O’Donnell, Patterson, Quirk, Quirk-Silva, Reyes, Rodriguez, Rubio, Salas, Santiago, Salas, Steinorth, Voepel, Waldron, Weber, Wood.
This article was adapted by James Vann from a column written by Lynda Carson.
Bay Area
Oakland Awarded $28 Million Grant from Governor Newsom to Sustain Long-Term Solutions Addressing Homelessness
Governor Gavin Newsom announced the City of Oakland has won a$28,446,565.83 grant as part of the Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention (HHAP) grant program. This program provides flexible grant funding to help communities support people experiencing homelessness by creating permanent housing, rental and move-in assistance, case management services, and rental subsidies, among other eligible uses.
Governor Gavin Newsom announced the City of Oakland has won a$28,446,565.83 grant as part of the Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention (HHAP) grant program.
This program provides flexible grant funding to help communities support people experiencing homelessness by creating permanent housing, rental and move-in assistance, case management services, and rental subsidies, among other eligible uses.
Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and the Oakland City Administrator’s Office staff held a press conference today to discuss the grant and the City’s successful implementing of the Mayor’s Executive Order on the Encampment Management Policy.
California Black Media
Gov. Newsom Signs Legislative Package to Increase Housing, Improve Accountability
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bipartisan legislative package to improve housing initiatives and address the homelessness crisis. The laws aim to streamline housing production and hold local governments accountable to state housing laws. The Legislature will enact over 30 new laws to strengthen housing protections for residents and improve transparency and efficiency for housing programs and initiatives.
By Bo Tefu, California Black Media
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bipartisan legislative package to improve housing initiatives and address the homelessness crisis. The laws aim to streamline housing production and hold local governments accountable to state housing laws.
The Legislature will enact over 30 new laws to strengthen housing protections for residents and improve transparency and efficiency for housing programs and initiatives.
“No more excuses. California is taking action to fix the decades-long homelessness, housing, and mental health crises,” said Newsom
“These new laws — paired with the state’s unprecedented resources — will deliver more housing, get people off the streets, and provide life-changing support that will benefit all Californians,” he said.
The bill package has new laws that mandate local governments to provide housing to vulnerable residents or low-income individuals experiencing homelessness. The laws will create strict timelines and robust requirements for local governments to report progress on housing and provide notice to the public, increasing accountability for local agencies. Under the new state laws, cities and counties that fail to adopt housing element revisions or approve housing developments will face monetary penalties for failing to comply with housing laws. The state will reduce regulatory barriers to promote housing near transit and provide incentives for accessory dwelling units as well as senior and student accommodation.
The bill package includes $2.2 billion in funding through Proposition 1 to build housing for veterans and individuals struggling with mental health or substance use disorders. The state plans to develop over 4,000 housing units and expand its HomeKey initiative to convert existing buildings into housing projects for homeless people statewide.
California Black Media
Controller Malia M. Cohen: Eligible Californians Can Now Apply for Property Tax Deferment
State Controller Malia M. Cohen announced last week that applications for property tax deferment began Oct. 1 and will continue through Feb. 10, 2025. The California’s Property Tax Postponement (PTP) Program “allows homeowners who are seniors, are blind, or have a disability, and who meet income and other requirements to postpone payment of property taxes on their primary residence,” according to Cohen’s office.
By Tanu Henry, California Black Media
State Controller Malia M. Cohen announced last week that applications for property tax deferment began Oct. 1 and will continue through Feb. 10, 2025.
The California’s Property Tax Postponement (PTP) Program “allows homeowners who are seniors, are blind, or have a disability, and who meet income and other requirements to postpone payment of property taxes on their primary residence,” according to Cohen’s office.
In the 2023-24 tax year, qualifying California homeowners were able to postpone over $6.2 million in residential property taxes.
Funding for the PTP program is limited and participants must reapply each year and demonstrate they continue to meet eligibility requirements. Recently, the program has been expanded to include manufactured homes, and the household income limit has been raised to $53,574. The increase, according to Cohen’s office, will help make more seniors and Californians with disabilities keep their homes.
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