California

NLIHC has estimated a need for no less than $100 billion in emergency rental assistance and broke down the need and cost for each state (download Excel spreadsheet). 

In response to COVID-19 and its economic fallout, many cities and states are creating or expanding rental assistance programs to support individuals and families impacted by the pandemic, and NLIHC is tracking in-depth information on these programs.  

You can use the interactive map and searchable database to find state and local emergency rental assistance programs near you. You can also see the latest news on rental assistance programs through the state-by-state news tracker. Note that this is not a comprehensive list of all rental assistance programs as we continue to update frequently. If you are aware of a program not included in our database, please contact [email protected]. 

COVID-19 Emergency Rental Assistance Programs

Across the country, homeless service providers are struggling to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. In order to follow public health guidelines and help ensure people’s safety, some shelters are being forced to reduce services, restrict admittance, or close entirely. The loss of these critical resources puts people experiencing homelessness at even higher risk of illness. Check NLIHC's cumulative list of shelter closings.

Below is a list of shelters that have had to majorly alter services or completely close:

Harbor House, a smaller season shelter in the Thousand Oaks area of Ventura County, closed early on March 13. This was a rotational shelter provided by a coalition of churches in the area that is generally open from December through the end of March. Many of the volunteers who are essential for operating the shelter and meal programs are elders and at higher risk of COVID-19.

In San Francisco, the city has told shelters to stop admitting new people but has opened a new shelter in an attempt to free up additional space.

Governor Gavin Newsom announced on May 26 that California’s state and local rent relief programs have distributed over $5 billion in assistance to more than 1.2 million Californians. Governor Newsom’s “California Blueprint May Revision” proposes an additional $2.7 billion in emergency rental assistance for eligible applicants who applied through March 31, creating a total of $8.1 billion in investments.

CBS News reports that California has been slow to process emergency rental assistance (ERA) applications and that now thousands of Californians are at risk of eviction. A growing number of tenants who fit the income eligibility requirements for ERA are being denied due to problems with their paperwork. An analysis of state data estimates that 45,000 applicants will not have their claims processed by the time the eviction moratorium ends on June 30. Housing advocates are urging officials to reopen the rental assistance program and keep the eviction moratorium in place until officials can eliminate the backlog of ERA applications.

Updated on June 14, 2022

The California COVID-19 Rent Relief Program has distributed $3.1 billion in rent and utility assistance to more than 275,000 households. California is using American Rescue Plan Act funds to keep Californians housed through several other programs, including Project Homekey, the Mortgage Assistance Program, and the Housing Accelerator Program.

According to the Long Beach Post, legal aid providers and housing advocates are concerned about a potential rise in evictions after city and state emergency rental assistance programs closed on March 30.

LAist reports that the U.S. Supreme Court decided not to take up an appeal from the Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles, effectively leaving in place the City of Los Angeles’s ongoing eviction protections for renters negatively affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Tenant advocates applauded the decision as a victory for local governments that passed policies to keep renters housed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The California Department of Housing and Community Development released a CDBG Management Memo concerning the CDBG/CDBG-CV Rental Relief Program to support cities and counties that want to provide rental assistance as part of their program. Grantees can provide rental assistance through this program for rent incurred on or after April 1, 2022.

A new University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) report finds a lag among Latino and Asian households in California in accessing the state’s emergency rental assistance program. The researchers found that Asian and Latino households are severely underrepresented among those who have managed to receive rent relief, compared to non-Latino white renters, even when accounting for income, age, and metropolitan area of residence.

NBC News highlights UCLA’s report, which found that low-income Asian American households have the lowest rate of rental assistance in California. Just 25% of rent-distressed Asian American households applied for aid, compared to 48% of white renters.

The Fresno Bee reports California lawmakers passed legislation on April 1 extending eviction protections through June 30 for renters who have applied for emergency rental assistance but have not yet received the funds. Fresno lawmakers confirmed that the new state law would not impact Fresno’s eviction moratorium or ERA applicants who apply after April 1.

The San Diego Union-Tribune reports that the San Diego City Council approved a new eviction moratorium on April 4 that would prohibit landlords from removing a tenant from a property if they want to take the property off the rental market or make significant repairs. San Diego’s new law adds additional protections for no-fault evictions not covered under California’s moratorium, which was extended last week through June 2022. The moratorium will stay in effect until September 30 or 60 days after the end of the local state of emergency, whichever comes first. A second vote on the ordinance is required before it can become law and will likely take place at the April 18 council meeting.

Updated on May 23, 2022

The Department of the Treasury approved an additional $68.7 million in emergency rental assistance (ERA) funds for California. The statewide Housing Is Key program has received applications requesting $4.2 billion more than California’s allocation of funds. This number does not include applications submitted to the many local jurisdictions running their own rent relief programs.

Updated on January 31, 2022

Forty-seven people – more than half of the unhoused residents – tested positive for COVID-19 at a San Francisco navigation center at the end of December. There was a significant delay in transporting the large group of COVID-positive residents off the premises and into isolation-and-quarantine hotels. At the end of December, vaccination rates among people experiencing homelessness in San Francisco were around 65%.

The Fresno Bee reports at least 1,138 households were evicted across three central San Joaquin Valley counties during the 18-month statewide eviction moratorium. Not all evictions result in lockouts, and tenants often leave before an eviction is carried out in court, meaning the number of evictions during this period is likely much higher.

Updated on January 28, 2022

The California Department of Housing and Community Development announced the first set of awards for the expanded Project Homekey program. The grants include $105 million for four awards, totaling 433 new homes for people exiting homelessness.

Updated on December 20, 2021

A Butte County program providing non-congregate shelter for people experiencing homelessness ended earlier than planned, leading to the evictions of 36 people occupying 26 rooms at a Chico motel. Five of the parties were unable to find shelter within the 15-day eviction notice period and were provided tents. The Butte County program contracted with United Way to run the program, which was expected to operate through January 2022. According to United Way, the program ended abruptly because it ran out of funds. NLIHC notes that FEMA is fully covering the costs of eligible non-congregate sheltering through April 1, 2022.

A 172-unit housing site in Pittsburg will be among the first Project Homekey sites to open. Contra Costa County Supervisors used a $21.5 million Homekey grant to purchase and renovate a motel that was used for non-congregate shelter through Project Roomkey. The interim housing facility will provide on-site healthcare, housing navigation, and case management services.

Facing eviction and harassment from their landlords, California tenants are fighting to remain housed. A growing number of California cities are working to ban landlords from using aggressive practices to force out their tenants.

Updated on December 13, 2021

The Los Angeles Times reports the city and county of Los Angeles have rented nearly 1,400 rooms in nine hotels for people experiencing homelessness as of this November. The Biden administration announced on November 9 FEMA will extend reimbursement of costs of eligible non-congregate sheltering through April 1, 2022. Los Angeles County, which operates two of the hotels, is reviewing how the FEMA extension might impact its plans to continue using the hotel sites. 

Politico reports on California’s efforts to reduce homelessness through Project Homekey – a statewide program to convert hotels and motels into affordable housing. California provided temporary shelter to over 48,000 people in hotel rooms during the pandemic through Project Roomkey. Within months, the state launched an effort to convert hotel rooms into permanent housing using federal coronavirus relief funds. Congress provided $5 billion in homelessness resources through the American Rescue Plan Act that can be used to purchase and convert non-congregate shelters into permanent housing. 

Updated on November 22, 2021

KGTV reports that with San Diego County’s eviction moratorium expired, housing advocates are pushing for increased protections as no-fault eviction notices spread through the city. According to the Alliance for Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE), many renters have received 60-day eviction notices from landlords who plan to pull the property off the market or renovate the property, which is allowed under state law. The City of San Diego, however, has no proof requirements to hold landlords accountable. ACCE is calling on city officials to hold landlords accountable and require relocation assistance for tenants.

Updated on November 15, 2021

The Napa Valley Register reports about 1,600 households in Napa County are at risk for eviction due to the pandemic. Many households have faced language or technology access issues in applying for California’s rental assistance program. Fair Housing Napa Valley is a local program that identifies and engages difficult-to-reach households and helps them navigate the state’s lengthy application for rent relief. While the number of applications has increased significantly over the past several months, payouts are still lagging.

Updated on November 8, 2021

As thousands of San Jose residents brace for a wave of evictions after California’s moratorium expired, the city has opened two centers to help renters navigate emergency rental assistance (ERA) applications. As of October 4, the centers have helped about 500 households. Most of the renters seek help because of the lengthy, complicated application process and language barriers. More than half of renters who came to the East San Jose center speak only Spanish.

The Los Angeles Times editorial board argues there should be a way for the court system to ensure landlords have done the bare minimum they are required to do before eviction court proceedings start. California landlords are required to apply for rental assistance before moving to evict a tenant, but court officials say clerks processing eviction requests are not equipped to determine whether landlords have filed the required paperwork.

Updated on October 19, 2021

California’s statewide eviction moratorium ended on September 30. Starting on October 1, California tenants can only be protected from evictions if they have applied for emergency rental assistance. As of September 27, more than 309,000 households have applied for assistance totaling nearly $3 billion.

While California’s statewide eviction moratorium ended on September 30, some California cities and counties will have ongoing protections for renters. The Los Angeles Times explains current tenant protections in L.A. County.

The San Diego Housing Commission said on September 30 the city has run out of emergency rental assistance (ERA) funds, including the $13 million Mayor Todd Gloria said was still available as of September 27. In addition to the lack of available aid, advocates and tenants are concerned since current eviction protections are tied to the tenant having a pending ERA application and that funds are available.

Updated on October 13, 2021

In addition to touting the success of San Diego’s COVID-19 Housing Stability Assistance Program, Mayor Todd Gloria on September 27 announced a proposal to establish a $5 million legal defense fund to support struggling renters. The city’s housing assistance program has provided more than $103 million in rent and utility assistance to nearly 12,000 households since launching in March. The mayor will present a proposal on October 5 to use $5 million in federal CARES Act funds to create a program to provide eviction prevention education and legal aid.

The California COVID-19 Rent Relief Program marked another milestone on September 27 with $650 million paid to 55,000 households. Beginning October 1, new state eviction protections will be in effect, but tenants must take steps to remain protected. Tenants must apply for rental assistance to be protected from eviction for nonpayment of rent.

The California Housing Partnership has been closely tracking the economic consequences of COVID-19 on California’s renter households since the U.S. Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey was first released in May 2020. Their research finds that nearly 1.5 years into the pandemic, renters across California are still bearing the economic brunt of COVID-19, experiencing high rates of wage loss and housing insecurity, and struggling to make rent, despite the availability of emergency rental assistance.

Updated on October 5, 2021

The LA Times reports a state auditor warned Governor Gavin Newsom on September 16 that delays in California’s rent relief program raise concerns about the state’s ability to distribute the first $1.8 billion in federal funds by the September 30 deadline. The auditor’s warning aligns with housing advocates’ concerns about California’s slow rate of rent relief dispersal.
Updated on September 27, 2021

Governor Gavin Newsom announced that as of September 13, California’s COVID-19 Rent Relief Program has obligated more than $1 billion in funding. $526 million of the $1 billion has already been distributed to over 44,000 low-income households. NLIHC’s Diane Yentel commended California for recognizing the need for improvements in the ERA program design and implementation and building on lessons learned to course correct.

California’s Assembly Housing chairperson announced on September 12 that the state’s eviction protections will almost certainly not be extended when they expire after September 30, as consensus does not exist among state lawmakers to extend these critical protections.

Updated on September 21, 2021

The Los Angeles Times outlines resources for Angelenos to apply for rental relief as the California eviction moratorium expires on October 1.

Updated on September 14, 2021

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit upheld Los Angeles’ eviction moratorium, stating “the city fairly ties the moratorium to its stated goal of preventing displacement from homes, which the city reasonably explains can exacerbate the public health-related problems stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic.” The Apartment Association of Los Angeles County urged the federal appeals court to block the city’s eviction moratorium. 

A new report from PolicyLink, Chainbreaker Collective, and Homes for All offers policy solutions to keep Santa Fe families housed through the duration of the COVID-19 crisis. The report, “Beyond Recovery: Policy Recommendations to Prevent Evictions and Promote Housing Security in Santa Fe,” outlines 15 actions the city can take to create a more equitable housing system for all residents. 

The Guardian reports most applicants to California’s rental assistance program have not received assistance yet. As of last week, 132,000 people have submitted initial applications, 91,000 have completed applications, and 20,000 of them – just 22% – have received rental assistance. The state has distributed a total of $242 million – about 23% of the funds requested so far. This data does not include local rental assistance programs.  
Updated on August 30, 2021

Governor Gavin Newsom signed legislation (AB 832) on June 28 to extend California’s eviction moratorium through September and streamline emergency rental assistance to pay landlords 100% of unpaid rent.Governor Gavin Newsom and legislative leaders are negotiating whether to extend California’s eviction protections past June. Extending the eviction moratorium would provide more time to distribute federal emergency rental assistance.
Updated on July 15, 2021 

CapRadio discusses how many Californians may be at risk of eviction when the state and federal moratoriums expire. Analysis by PolicyLink suggests that about 900,000 households in California are behind on rent.
Updated on June 28, 2021

KQED reports that thousands of California renters and landlords are awaiting aid from the state’s slow-moving rental assistance program. Only a little more than 2% of people who have applied to California’s rental assistance program have received aid.

Updated on June 22, 2021

Governor Gavin Newsom sent a letter to FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell requesting a continuation of FEMA’s 100% cost-share reimbursement for Project Roomkey through at least June 30, 2022. 

Governor Gavin Newsom proposed $12 billion in new funding to move people experiencing homelessness into housing, including $8.75 billion to expand Project Homekey, a program to convert hotel and motel rooms and other properties into housing. According to state officials, $800 million spent on Project Homekey last year created 6,000 housing units from hotels, motels, and other repurposed properties, providing shelter for 8,200 people. 

Using Project Homekey funds, San Mateo County purchased three locations to convert into housing for people experiencing homelessness.  

An op-ed in the Los Angeles Times outlines why the COVID-19 emergency is far from over for vulnerable renters. In California, out of the $355 million in federal emergency rental assistance, only $20 million of rent relief has been approved and $1 million paid out. 
Updated on June 14, 2021

According to the Los Angeles Times, housing advocates say California must do a better job helping low-income renters access emergency rental assistance. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and County Board of Supervisors Chair Hilda Solis have asked Governor Gavin Newsom and legislative leaders to revise the Senate Bill 91 program, citing the “need for more robust, equitable and flexible emergency rental assistance.”

A survey of 177 rental assistance providers conducted by Bay Area Regional Health Inequities Initiative, Housing Now!, and PolicyLink reveals Californians experiencing deep housing and health insecurity face formidable challenges accessing rent relief.

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors on May 26 unanimously approved a three-month extension of the city’s eviction moratorium. The decision extends protections for San Francisco renters from the end of June to the end of September. California’s statewide eviction moratorium is expected to expire on June 30.

The Sacramento Bee reports that despite temporary state eviction protections, roughly 600 people have been evicted in Sacramento County during the pandemic. Nearly half the evictions (277) occurred in high poverty communities. The figures do not include illegal eviction cases that never made it to court or those who self-evicted. When those evictions are factored in, the actual number of evictions is likely at least double, and could be as much as 10 times higher.
Updated on June 4, 2021

According to Tenants Together, Latinx people make up 57% of renters in California, but only 35% have applied for rental assistance statewide. KPBS reports the San Diego Housing Commission is conducting targeted outreach about available rental assistance to the Latino community by placing ads in English and Spanish language media, sending postcards in Spanish to 170,000 households, posting ads on public transportation, and more.

Updated on May 3, 2021

The San Francisco Chronicle reports that Project Homekey, California’s program to convert hotels, motels, and other vacant buildings into housing, has created shelter for more than 8,000 people at a fraction of the cost of new construction. Since launching last summer, Project Homekey grants have produced 5,911 new units, including 1,627 in the Bay Area.

Mercury News reports that nearly 78,000 Californians have applied for $363 million in rent relief since the state’s program launched on March 15. Some housing advocates and landlords say the patchwork of rental assistance programs throughout the Bay Area may delay or complicate the distribution of these critical resources.

Updated on April 28, 2021

The Sacramento Bee examines the impact of California’s Project Roomkey. The program provided shelter to approximately 35,000 Californians experiencing homelessness in hotels and motels.

The San Diego County Board of Supervisors passed additional renter protections on April 6 to prevent landlords from exploiting loopholes to evict tenants. The action limits eviction to renters who are an imminent health or safety threat. The county’s law goes beyond statewide protections that still allow “just cause evictions.” The action requires a second vote at the board’s May 4 meeting to take effect.

The San Diego Eviction Prevention Collaborative launched Housing Help San Diego, a program to help residents at risk of eviction from hard-to-reach communities who may face language, cultural, and income barriers to accessing assistance.

The Gilroy City Council again rejected a local eviction moratorium, with members questioning the need for an ordinance with county and state protections in effect. Two council members emphasized the need for Gilroy to protect its residents and not depend on other jurisdictions.

Updated on April 17, 2021

After California expanded its vaccine guidelines, making all people experiencing homelessness eligible, Bay Area counties are increasing efforts to vaccinate unhoused residents by visiting homeless shelters and Project Roomkey hotels or by setting up mobile vaccination clinics.

A hybrid of state and local programs established to distribute $2.6 billion in federal rent relief to California landlords and low-income renters are now accepting applications. Partnerships between the state, counties, large cities, and social service agencies in the Bay Area will help distribute roughly $500 million in rent relief funds.

A California COVID-19 Rent Relief call center is now available to answer eligibility questions, provide information on local assistance, and help with applications. Call 1-833-430-2122 between 7am-7pm PT.

The San Diego Union-Tribune editorial board questions why Mayor Todd Gloria and other city officials delayed pursuing FEMA reimbursement after President Biden announced FEMA will fully cover the costs of eligible non-congregate sheltering. An aide to Mayor Gloria wrote that FEMA funding does not address the need for supportive services and mentioned that the mayor directed the Housing Commission to seek out local service providers on March 12.

Updated on March 31, 2021

New research evaluating a hotel-based program with services for individuals experiencing homelessness in San Francisco produced better health outcomes and reduced the burden on hospitals deluged with more seriously ill patients. The findings underscore the public health benefits of providing stable housing and services to people experiencing homelessness. 

The San Francisco Public Press reports that after an eight-month pause, court-ordered evictions in San Francisco have resumed, and the city’s most marginalized residents are bearing the brunt. More than half of the evictions that have occurred since the start of November 2020 involved tenants in permanent supportive housing. 

The LA Times reports that Mayor Eric Garcetti’s administration has not requested reimbursement from FEMA for portions of the estimated $59 million it has spent on Project Roomkey. Activists, business leaders, and elected officials have spent weeks urging Mayor Garcetti to expand Project Roomkey after the Biden administration increased the federal cost-share from 75% to 100%. 

The Los Angeles Business Council (LABC), which represents 150 L.A. businesses, has called for a significant expansion of Project Roomkey, urging Mayor Eric Garcetti and the City Council to pursue obtaining 15,000 hotel rooms. LABC says the city should take advantage of FEMA’s commitment to fully cover the costs of hotel and motel rooms through September. 

Updated on March 08, 2021

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted on February 23 to extend a local eviction moratorium through June 30. The moratorium applies where it does not overlap with state protections for residential tenants unable to pay rent. It covers commercial evictions, no-fault evictions, and prohibits evicting tenants for unauthorized occupants, pets, and other nuisances.

Despite statewide eviction protections, evictions continue to occur across California, including in the city of Richmond. Due to a high number of evictions, Richmond city attorneys are working on drafting an eviction protection ordinance modeled after San Francisco and Alameda counties, which have seen the fewest evictions in the region.

Updated on March 01, 2021

San Jose lawmakers at the city and council level approved a “hybrid” plan to distribute millions of rent relief funds with local and state distribution strategies. Advocates, including Destination: Home, say the implementation model prioritizes equity and will ensure these critical resources reach the households most in need. Approximately 43,000 Santa Clara County families are at risk of eviction, and more than 65% of clients in the county’s existing emergency relief programs are extremely low-income.

Fresno unveiled on February 17 a refurbished motel of about 80 rooms, the latest in the city’s efforts to house individuals who are homeless in former rundown motels. The newest motel is the fourth to be acquired and converted into emergency housing. The city of Fresno contributed $6.8 million and the Fresno Housing Authority provided $24 million to buy the four motels and operate them for the next five years.

The Sacramento City Council on February 16 approved a $31.7 million rental assistance program. More than half of the money came from the state of California, and $15 million came directly to Sacramento from the U.S. Department of Treasury. Applications are scheduled to open on February 25.

Updated on February 22, 2021

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti announced that three hotels the city had been renting under Project Roomkey will remain open until the end of September, but he stopped short of authorizing a major expansion of the hotel program. The three hotels total about 1,200 beds and were set to close either at the end of this month or next month. The city is working with California and FEMA to see it could receive Project Roomkey funds upfront.

Tenant advocates are urging the Fresno City Council to adopt a “right to counsel” program for renters facing eviction. Evidence from cities with similar programs suggests a right to counsel is critical in keeping renters housed. The California Judicial Council predicts that as many as 240,000 evictions could be processed this year statewide, making right to counsel programs even more critical.

ABC News reports that U.S. District Judge David Carter presided over a hearing in a lawsuit seeking solutions for the homelessness crisis in Los Angeles at a shelter in the heart of the city’s Skid Row. The lawsuit was filed by the LA Alliance for Human Rights, a group of business owners, residents, and community leaders, who allege that local officials have not done enough to address homelessness.

In Orange County, 825 individuals who are homeless have contracted COVID-19, with 625 of those being shelter residents. The conditions at congregate shelters underscore the need for timely housing options for individuals experiencing homelessness. The county has purchased two hotel and motel sites through Project Homekey that will provide 132 units of non-congregate sheltering.

The San Jose City Council voted unanimously on February 2 to immediately halt rent increases for residents living in rent-controlled mobile homes and apartments through June 30. Renters must prove to their landlord they are facing hardship by submitting a declaration before the next scheduled annual rent increase. More than 37,000 Santa Clara County households owe a combined $173.5 million in back rent.

Updated on February 17, 2021

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti instructed his team and the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority to move hundreds of individuals experiencing homelessness into empty hotel and motel rooms. The announcement follows President Biden’s executive order directing FEMA to reimburse 100% of the costs of non-congregate sheltering.

San Francisco city officials who championed Project Roomkey see President Biden’s executive order directing FEMA to provide 100% reimbursement for non-congregate sheltering as an opportunity not only to keep the hotel program going, but to expand it. “Now we can open more spots for people experiencing homelessness to stay safe during the rest of this pandemic,” Supervisor Hillary Ronen, a proponent of the hotels, tweeted on Thursday following the announcement. “Can’t wait to work with Federal & State leaders on permanent fixes to homelessness.”

NBC Bay Area reports that Oakland landlords have sent hundreds of eviction notices to tenants during the pandemic, despite the federal moratorium and the city’s eviction moratorium.

The Fresno Bee reports that despite the federal and state eviction moratoriums, some California renters continue to be forced from their homes. Central Valley Legal Services has 200 open eviction cases in the San Joaquin Valley, which represents only a fraction of the people losing their housing.

Updated on February 08, 2021

The LA Times explores how President Biden’s housing plans could help people experiencing homelessness in Los Angeles. “We have a tremendous opportunity ahead with President Biden, having run on a commitment of housing as a human right, and putting out his intention to make housing assistance universally available to everybody who needs it,” said NLIHC President and CEO Diane Yentel.

The San Francisco Public Press discusses President Biden’s executive order announcing that FEMA will fully reimburse local governments for the cost of housing individuals who are homeless in non-congregate shelters and why San Francisco should take advantage of this policy change.

Los Angeles officials hope that President Biden’s executive order directing FEMA to provide 100% reimbursement for non-congregate sheltering will breathe new life into Project Roomkey. The city of LA has committed to spending about $95 million to rent hotel rooms through the end of March, and the county has budgeted $113 million.

LA Councilmembers Mike Bonin and Nithya Raman filed a motion on January 26 calling for the city of Los Angeles to expand the Project Roomkey program. The motion asks city officials to determine quickly how to expand and improve Project Roomkey and urges the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority to consult with unhoused individuals on ways to improve the program.

Governor Gavin Newsom and state legislative leaders on January 25 announced an agreement to extend California’s eviction moratorium through June 30, 2021, while using federal COVID-19 relief funding to pay off up to 80% of eligible tenants’ unpaid rent. Despite the moratorium extension, some remain concerned about a lack of enforcement of the protections.

Data from sheriffs’ offices in the Bay Area’s nine counties show that at least 527 individuals and families in the Bay Area were evicted between March 19 and the end of December. These evictions, however, represent only a fraction of the total number of people forced from their homes since many tenants leave or get locked out before sheriffs get involved.

Updated on February 01, 2021

The Los Angeles Times reports that California courts are bracing for eviction cases to double over the next year due to pandemic-related financial struggles. According to estimates from state court officials, landlords are expected to file 240,000 new eviction cases – twice the number of eviction cases filed in a typical year.

Negotiations surrounding extending California’s statewide eviction moratorium continue as the moratorium’s deadline draws nearer. Governor Gavin Newsom and state lawmakers must reach an agreement by January 31 to prevent the beginning of a statewide eviction tsunami. Between 240,000 and 700,000 California households are at risk of eviction for nonpayment of rent.

Updated on January 25, 2021

Marin County supervisors voted unanimously on January 12 to enact a five-month eviction ban. Landlords will be prohibited from evicting a tenant if the tenant provides a declaration of pandemic-related financial distress within 15 days of receiving notice demanding payment of rent. The ban will take effect February 1 and last through June 30.

Anticipating a wave of evictions in the near future, the city of Pasadena committed nearly $120,000 to cover legal fees for residents facing eviction. The funds, which are part of a $720,243 state grant from the California Emergency Solutions and Housing Program, will go to the Housing Rights Center, a local nonprofit that provides legal aid.

Los Angeles City Councilman Kevin de León unveiled a plan on January 12 aimed at creating 25,000 housing units by 2025 for people experiencing homelessness.

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously on January 6 to extend and expand both a local rent relief program and eviction moratorium. Changes to the rent relief program will expand eligibility and align the county program with conditions that apply to new federal rent relief funds. The eviction moratorium is extended through February 28.

The LA Times editorial board reports on the alarming surge in COVID cases among people experiencing homelessness in LA and the urgency of moving individuals into motels, hotels, or apartments, not into congregate settings.

Los Angeles County homeless shelters are overwhelmed by COVID-19. Homeless service providers, encampment residents, local officials, and street medical teams are working to keep people safe from coronavirus, but more resources are desperately needed.

Governor Gavin Newsom on December 18 announced that FEMA authorized reimbursement for non-congregate shelter through the duration of the COVID-19 emergency, including California’s Project Roomkey. The state will no longer be required to submit reauthorization requests every 30 days.

The Sacramento Bee reports that more than 50 tenants may soon be evicted from a River District hotel. The tenants received notice that they needed to leave because the hotel was to be renovated or sold. The Eviction Defense Network sent a letter to City Attorney Susana Alcala Wood and the City Council saying that California’s eviction moratorium should apply to the hotel tenants and asking the city to demand the landlord rescind the eviction notices.

Ventura County officials and homeless service providers fear a surge of evictions and increase of homelessness when eviction protections expire on January 31. The program manager for the Ventura County Continuum of Care says the agency does not have the resources to stop the impending tsunami of evictions.

Two million California renters could be forced from their homes early next year, with single mothers especially at risk of eviction. This month, the U.S. Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey estimated that more than 3 million California renters turned to credit cards or loans, more than 3 million tapped into their savings or sold assets, and approximately 2 million borrowed money from friends or family.

A report from the USC Price Center for Social Innovation finds that widespread economic precarity existed prior to the pandemic for Los Angeles renters, who were already cutting back on basic needs to pay rent. The authors conclude that returning to a pre-pandemic state is not enough. In addition to current emergency tenant protections, policymakers need to address deeper issues within the rental market.

Approximately 30 families who had been residing in a motel for months and even years were forced from their rooms when L.A. County took steps to purchase the property and convert it into housing using Project Homekey funds. After protests from the residents, local organizers, and attorneys, county officials decided to delay the purchase while they determine if the occupants have rights of residency – and if not, where they will go.

Updated on January 15, 2021

On December 5, city officials reported that 55 people at the San Diego Convention Center’s emergency homeless shelter tested positive for COVID-19. The people experiencing homelessness who tested positive will be temporarily moved to a local hotel.

Mercury News reports that amid surging COVID-19 cases, some Bay Area officials are working to keep Project Roomkey hotels open. Four San Francisco supervisors introduced legislation that would force the city to keep its 2,300 hotel rooms open until every resident is housed or until FEMA stops providing funding.

A column in the Los Angeles Times examines California’s impending eviction and homelessness crisis amid surging COVID-19 cases, colder temperatures, the expiration of eviction protections, and the winding down of Project Roomkey programs.

Marin County will use hotel rooms as emergency winter shelters if weather conditions are deemed severe enough to warrant it.

Amy Duganne from Ventura County United Way predicts that the impending eviction crisis in Ventura County will lead to increases in homelessness that will disproportionately impact Black and Latinx communities. Mercy House, which runs homeless shelters in Ventura and Oxnard, has seen a 40% increase in newly homeless people during recent months.

Updated on December 19, 2020

The Daily Democrat reports that Yolo County’s Project Roomkey has provided approximately 533 individuals experiencing homelessness with 49,244 nights of shelter between March 16 and November 17. “In the midst of a pandemic, this project has been a shining example of what can occur when those most in need are supported through a collaborative effort from providers, cities, and the county,” said Yolo County’s Homeless Program Coordinator Nadia Waggener.

Alameda County officials are scrambling to move more than 1,200 people currently residing in hotels into permanent housing before Project Roomkey ends. Two people living and working in hotels report being recently told that the program is ending before January. “We are collaborating with the county on a possible extension of the timeframe, as well as identifying permanent housing for the residents of the hotels,” said a spokesman for the City of Berkeley.

Humboldt County has benefited from California’s Project Roomkey program, receiving at least two disbursements from the state. Project Roomkey funding has provided nearly 13,000 shelter nights to people experiencing homelessness in Eureka, Arcata, and Southern Humboldt.

Mercury News examines how the pandemic is changing how Bay Area communities are constructing homeless shelters. Cities and counties around the Bay Area are experimenting with tiny, modular apartments.

California Highway Patrol (CHP) officers forcibly removed families experiencing homelessness who were seeking shelter in vacant houses the night before Thanksgiving and amid a surge in COVID-19 cases.

Updated on December 9, 2020

Governor Gavin Newsom announced an emergency allocation of $62 million in one-time funds from the state’s Disaster Response Emergency Operations Account to help counties continue providing housing to current Project Roomkey participants. Of the total allocation, $24 million will support ongoing Project Roomkey operations, $35 million will be used to develop and implement rehousing plans, and $3 million for technical assistance.

Desert Sun reports on the new funding allocated by Governor Newsom to continue sheltering individuals residing in Project Roomkey hotels who were going to be forced from hotels by the end of the year. According to a Desert Sun analysis from mid-October, only 5% of Project Roomkey clients have found a permanent home.

According to data collected from seven Bay Area counties and analyzed by KQED, nearly 16% – or 345 out of 2,196 – of people already discharged from Project Roomkey hotels have moved into permanent housing. This data excludes Solano County and San Francisco. San Francisco supervisors urged officials to keep all Project Roomkey hotels open for as long as possible and stated they planned to introduce legislation to ensure that every hotel guest is placed into permanent housing.

U.S. District Judge Dean D. Pregerson denied a request by Southern California’s largest landlord organization for a preliminary injunction to immediately halt Los Angeles’ eviction ban and rent freeze. According to the court ruling, the judge found that while some landlords are facing financial hardships, their interests must “yield precedence to the vital interests of the public as a whole.”

San Francisco officials announced they intend to reverse a policy change that would have left homeless shelter residents with fewer protections from eviction. The former shelter grievance policy, which allows residents to formally challenge complaints or evictions from shelters, will remain and will be extended to residents of shelter-in-place hotels.

According to a Federal Reserve study, California’s back rent is projected to reach nearly $1.7 billion by the end of the year. Nearly 240,000 renter households in California have fallen behind on rent, with an average debt of $6,953 per household.

Dozens of elderly residents in a West Sacramento mobile home park are facing homelessness after receiving eviction notices from property management. The Westwinds Estates, a mobile home park that primarily serves lower-income and senior residents, sent more than 50 homes eviction notices on October 30 for apparent health and safety violations.

Updated on November 30, 2020

The Los Angeles Times reports that several members of the LA City Council have asked the city to examine the feasibility of using the Los Angeles Convention Center, which has been vacant during the pandemic, to shelter people experiencing homelessness. 

Updated on November 17, 2020

Governor Gavin Newsom on October 29 announced the final round of Project Homekey funding – $129.6 million to nine applicants for 17 projects totaling 982 units. To date, more than $835.6 million have been awarded to 48 jurisdictions for 93 projects totaling 6,055 units. 

The Californian shares the story of an 87-year-old woman evicted from her apartment in north Salinas, calling attention to the immediate and long-term impacts of eviction. Individuals who are evicted during the pandemic face a greater risk for contracting coronavirus. 

VoteMobile has visited farmers markets, a homeless services center, and communities devastated by the recent wildfires to help survivors, seniors, and people experiencing homelessness in California cast their votes. 

After receiving pushback from city residents, Marin County Supervisor Judy Arnold is recommending the county stop negotiations to buy and convert a Novato hotel to housing for people experiencing homelessness using Project Homekey funds. Novato residents protested the location, the expedited project timeline, and the loss of city revenue, and some residents even created an online petition to recall Supervisor Arnold. The city of Novato is considering filing a lawsuit to halt Marin County’s plan to convert a hotel into housing for people experiencing homelessness. If Novato decides to sue, it will join other cities who have challenged Project Homekey in court, including the city of Milpitas and developers in Sacramento.  

Stanislaus County homeless service providers will receive nearly $22.8 million in CARES Act funds to prevent and respond to outbreaks among people experiencing homelessness. Stanislaus continuum members and community members met over Zoom to discuss the new funding, with some raising the need for more services for Latinos and the LGBTQ community. 

Updated on November 10, 2020

A new report from San Francisco’s Budget and Legislative Analyst estimates that unpaid rent due to COVID-19 could be up to $32.7 million per month for the period April to September 2020. The report warns that existing rental assistance programs are unable to meet the demand: “Unless new programs are adopted at the federal or state level, unpaid rent is likely to increase as long as San Francisco renters remain unemployed due to COVID-19.” 

Governor Gavin Newsom on October 23 announced the Joint Legislative Budget Committee has approved the Administration’s request for $200 million in additional funding for Project Homekey, bringing the total funding available to over $800 million. Governor Newsom announced $84.1 million in the sixth round of awards to five applicants for six projects totaling 430 units. 

Mercury News reports on some city officials’ reluctance to participate in Project Homekey. After Santa Clara County received a $29.2 million Homekey grant to convert a Milpitas hotel into housing, the Milpitas City Council voted to sue any parties involved in the project. Governor Newsom urged the council members to participate in the project. “I get the pressure you’re under, but you’re going to look back in your life, and you’re going to regret this,” said the governor. “You have an incredible moment in time. It’s a moral damn moment. Do the right thing.” 

The California Housing Partnership reports that according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey, 59% of Black renters behind on rent in California fear eviction in the next two months, compared with 41% of all California renters behind on rent. 

Updated on November 4, 2020

Governor Gavin Newsom on October 16 announced the release of $30.7 million in the fifth round of awards for Project Homekey. With this round of awards, California has provided all available Homekey funding – more than $627 to 45 applicants and 71 projects totaling 4,646 units.

The Milpitas City Council voted unanimously on October 15 to send a letter to Santa Clara County, asking that it halt plans to convert a 146-room hotel into 132 studio apartments for people experiencing homelessness. The $29.2 million project will be funded through California’s Project Homekey. Mayor Rich Tran threatened to sue California over the rushed plans, frustrated that the state would bypass local control, and droves of residents protested the plans, citing safety concerns.

Marin County is close to acquiring two commercial buildings to house people experiencing homelessness using Project Homekey funds, but it is still developing a plan for winter sheltering. As Project Roomkey winds down, Marin County is working to find permanent housing for the individuals who were temporarily sheltered in three local motels.

The San Jose City Council approved a plan to keep emergency shelters operating this winter and unanimously voted to purchase a 72-unit hotel to use as supportive housing for individuals experiencing homelessness.

Updated on October 26, 2020

Two new studies demonstrate deepening housing insecurity in the Bay Area, with the financial hardship disproportionately impacting communities of color. A study from Healing Grove Health Center, a San Jose-based nonprofit, estimates nearly 15,000 households in Santa Clara County are at imminent risk of homelessness when eviction protections expire in February.

Residents at several Orange County motels received sudden notice that the Project Roomkey program would be closing October 16 or 23, depending on the site. County officials cite funding concerns as the primary reason for the abrupt end to the program. FEMA funding has been renewed on a monthly basis, with no guarantee that the agency will continue reimbursing Orange County for the costs. The county has been using Coronavirus Relief Fund money to cover the remaining 25% cost-share, but this money must be spent by December 30.

Governor Gavin Newsom announced Salinas would receive $9.2 million in Project Homekey funds to put toward the acquisition of the Good Nite Inn. The Salinas City Council voted unanimously to purchase the existing motel and convert guest rooms into apartments while also providing services, like job training and substance abuse counseling.

Mercury News interviewed Dr. Margot Kushel, director of the UCSF Center for Vulnerable Populations, about how the coronavirus has changed the Bay Area’s homelessness crisis.

Updated on October 19, 2020

An LA Times article highlights the successes of Project Roomkey while acknowledging it is a short-term response to the long-term public health crisis. Governor Gavin Newsom says solving homelessness amid the COVID-19 remains his priority.

The landlord lobby in San Francisco abandoned its effort to appeal a law providing tenants permanent relief from eviction if they could not pay rent during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Updated on October 14, 2020

The San Francisco Chronicle reports that the city’s Project Roomkey will start winding down immediately, with all 2,340 hotel guests moved to other places by June 2021. Supervisor Matt Haney reports the program is being phased out under the assumption that FEMA will stop reimbursing it. Over the next several months, hotel residents will be connected to shelter beds, sanctioned encampments, housing vouchers, permanent supportive housing, or a city-funded bus ticket.

Governor Gavin Newsom announced $137 million in the third round of Project Homekey awards to 15 applications for 19 projects totaling 938 units. Governor Newsom also announced he has asked the Joint Legislative Budget Committee to approve his request for an additional $200 million in Coronavirus Relief Funding (CRF) for Project Homekey.

Cap Radio discusses homelessness in California during COVID-19, including an update on Project Homekey and how state lawmakers are working to address the growing risk of homelessness amid the ongoing pandemic.

Mercury News reports Governor Gavin Newsom has asked the state’s Joint Legislative Budget Committee for an additional $200 million for Project Homekey. If approved, the request would increase the program’s buying power a third, enabling it to fund 20 more projects on the waitlist.

There are reports that some of the recent fires at or near several encampments in Venice have been started deliberately. Los Angeles City Councilmember Mike Bonin filed a motion to offer an award for information leading to the identification, apprehension, and conviction of the person(s) responsible for these acts of arson. 

Los Angeles’ largest landlord group, the Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles (AAGLA), announced on September 21 it had filed a preliminary injunction against the city of Los Angeles to stop the eviction moratorium and rent freeze. The AAGLA joins a landlord group that recently sued California, Los Angeles County, and several Southern California cities over several tenant eviction protections enacted during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Outreach workers in Costa Mesa have started to see an increase in the number of displaced and financially insecure families in and around the city. City officials are developing a rental relief program that could come before the council in October.

Updated on October 5, 2020

The LA Times reports L.A. County’s Project Roomkey will drop several hundred beds each month until it ends early next year. Heidi Marston, executive director of the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, expressed concerns about uncertain funding from FEMA and the potential for the agency to suddenly stop funding the program, forcing the county to abruptly shut down hotels.

The Los Angeles City Council voted unanimously on September 23 to authorize the use of more than $10.4 million for an emergency legal defense program to support renters facing eviction amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Governor Gavin Newsom announced more than $236 million in the second round of Project Homekey awards for 29 projects in 12 California communities, totaling 1,810 units.

Efforts by the Bakersfield-Kern Regional Homeless Collaborative to lease a motel under Project Roomkey were stymied by a NIMBY hospital that insisted the move would increase vandalism and theft.

The San Jose City Council approved a 10-part anti-displacement plan to provide rental assistance and give nonprofit organizations first priority on property that goes on the market. The anti-displacement plan obligates city leaders to support federal legislation and private efforts to help tenants and landlords pay back rent and eliminate some of the legal costs of evictions.

Capital & Main reports on advocates’ concerns that an unprecedented tsunami of evictions will occur when the federal eviction moratorium expires at the end of the year if Congress does not provide emergency rental assistance.

Updated on September 29, 2020

Governor Gavin Newsom announced on September 16 nearly $76.5 million in Project Homekey funds will be awarded to seven local jurisdictions for 10 projects totaling 579 units. 

San Jose and Contra Costa County are among the first to be awarded Project Homekey funds. Kern County was awarded nearly $15 million from Project Homekey to acquire four sites totaling 151 units for permanent supportive housing. San Jose and Contra Costa County were also awarded Project Homekey funds. View the complete list of the first round of awards here.

The California Department of Housing and Urban Development is amending the NOFA for the Community Development Block Grant Coronavirus (CDBG-CV1) Response Round 1 (CDBG-CV1) to extend the application deadline for jurisdictions contemplating the use of federal funds for properties purchased with Project Homekey funds from September 21, 2020 to February 1, 2021.

City officials in the Bay Area promised to stop sweeping homeless encampments during the pandemic, but some cities, including San Jose, Oakland, and San Francisco, have repeatedly dismantled camps.

California state housing officials released an interactive website for tenants and landlords to understand their rights under the new coronavirus anti-eviction rules enacted in the Tenant Relief Act of 2020.

Updated on September 22, 2020

The Los Angeles City Council decided September 9 to allocate up to $97 million in CARES Act funding for rapid rehousing but is authorizing only $30 million at this point. The council decided to refrain from authorizing most of the funds until the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority demonstrates progress in housing people with the money. 

The Los Angeles Times reports that advocates are concerned over the rise in deaths of people experiencing homelessness in Orange County. According to the coroner’s office, 146 people experiencing homelessness died between April and August. During the same period last year, there were 82 deaths. 

The Los Angeles Times editorial board urges city officials to continue protecting people experiencing homelessness from the coronavirus by focusing on permanent housing and non-congregate shelters. The editorial board urges city officials to follow CDC guidance and refrain from sweeping encampments. 

The city of Los Angeles installed permanent hand-washing stations in Skid Row and North Hollywood. 

The Ventura County Star reports the Vagabond Inn in Oxnard is under consideration for funding under Project Homekey. If approved, the inn could soon transition from an affordable hotel option to permanent supportive housing for 70 county residents currently experiencing homelessness. Ventura County received a notice of a conditional award of approximately $9.5 million from Project Homekey. The county will also contribute $3.5 million of its own federal coronavirus relief funds. 

Updated on September 15, 2020

The Los Angeles Times reports that new federal and state protections could protect struggling tenants, at least through the end of the year. Governor Gavin Newsom’s administration announced on September 2 a new informational campaign and website called “Housing Is Key,” which informs tenants and landlords of their rights under California’s new program. 

California lawmakers passed and Governor Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 3088, the “COVID-19 Tenant Relief Act of 2020.” Under the legislation, no tenant can be evicted before February 1, 2021, due to nonpayment of rent due to a COVID-19 related hardship accrued between March 4-August 31. For a pandemic related hardship that accrues between September 1, 2020-January 31, 2021, tenants must also pay at least 25% of rent due to avoid eviction. Read a summary of the bill here. 

Some tenant advocates are concerned the complex regulations will not protect the most vulnerable renters, while some landlords believe the measure will not help small property owners. Governor Newsom acknowledged California will need more assistance to address the economic instability, and possible mass displacement, faced by renters. 

Updated on September 10, 2020

HuffPost reports that the combination of California’s wildfires and the pandemic is putting thousands of people experiencing homelessness at risk for respiratory issues. “Our homeless residents are breathing ash right now,” one advocate said of the unhealthy air affecting unhoused people already at heightened risk for COVID-19.

The Los Angeles Times editorial board questions why state leaders have taken a “shockingly lackadaisical attitude” toward the impending eviction crisis. California’s eviction moratorium is set to expire in less than a week, and state leaders have not acted to prevent an eviction tsunami.

California’s eviction moratorium is set to expire September 1, allowing all eviction cases to move forward September 2. With as many 5.4 million California renters at risk of eviction, advocates are urging the state Senate to enact a new eviction moratorium by approving Assembly Bill 1436. In Orange County, 570 new eviction cases were filed from April 6 through July 31. At least 1,122 additional eviction cases were filed in Los Angeles County from April through June.

Santa Clara County’s Board of Supervisors voted unanimously August 25 to extend the county’s eviction moratorium through at least September 30. The extension comes weeks after a recent analysis predicted 43,490 renter households in Santa Clara County could lose their homes if the moratorium was lifted.

Updated on September 2, 2020.

Mercury News reports that funding for Project Homekey falls far short of the overwhelming need. Cities, counties, and organizations in the Bay Area submitted 29 applications seeking $324 million from Project Homekey. California, however, has set aside just $100 million for the nine-county region, meaning that local projects will receive less than a third of what they need.

The Los Angeles Times reports that California lawmakers on August 20 declined to support a plan that would have provided tax credits for landlords while sending a separate proposal that would protect tenants back to Governor Gavin Newsom for additional negotiations. Senators moved forward Assembly Bill 1436, which would prohibit evictions for up to a year.

Approximately 30 lawyers and organizers gathered outside the state building in San Francisco to demand that the state Judicial Council extend Emergency Rule 1, which prevents evictions, and is set to expire on September 1. The attorneys argued that reopening the courts is a public health risk and would put seniors and low-income people facing eviction disproportionately at risk of contracting the coronavirus.

Capital Public Radio reports on California’s looming eviction crisis as the statewide eviction moratorium is set to expire September 1. Assembly Bill 1436, which would ban evictions across California until 90 days after the current state of emergency is lifted, passed the state’s Senate Judiciary Committee on August 18. “If we don’t change state law in the next two weeks, we will see a massive wave of evictions,” said Assemblyman David Chiu at a Senate Judiciary Committee meeting. “This will be catastrophic for tenants, landlords, homeowners, and COVID-19 spread.”

BuzzFeed News reports that more than one million Californians have yet to receive unemployment benefits. California is poised to resume evictions on September 1, putting approximately 30,000 Californians who are unable to work or collect unemployment benefits at risk of eviction.

The Bakersfield City Council voted on August 12 to allocate $5 million in CARES Act funding to establish a rental assistance program. According to the Housing Authority of the County of Kern, the program is anticipated to help at least 1,000 households. 

The application for the Los Angeles County COVID-19 Rent Relief Program opened Monday, August 17. The $100 million program is expected to assist 8,000-9,000 households.

The Escondido City Council unanimously voted to extend the city’s eviction moratorium through September 30. San Diego, Imperial Beach, and National City also have banned evictions through September 30.

Faith in the Valley released two reports that examine the patterns and impacts of evictions, which contribute to the larger housing insecurity crises, in Kern County and San Joaquin County. The reports highlight the pandemic’s impact on evictions and outline actions city, county, and state officials must take to protect vulnerable tenants.

Updated on August 25, 2020.

The Los Angeles Times reports on the 1.6 million farmworkers in California without legal status , many of whom are at risk of homelessness and have the least access to assistance. Many migrant farmworkers across California may be uncertain of their rights and hesitant to fight illegal evictions.

The Judicial Council of California voted 19-1 on August 13 to end the statewide moratorium on evictions and foreclosures on September 1. “The judicial branch cannot usurp the responsibility of the other two branches on a long-term basis to deal with the myriad impacts of the pandemic,” Chief Justice Cantil-Sakauye said in a statement.

The LA County COVID-19 Rent Relief program will begin accepting applications on August 17. The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved $100 million in federal Coronavirus Relief Funds to assist renters impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The California Department of Housing and Community Development recently released frequently asked questions for the Project Homekey Notice of Funding Availability. 

A report by Working Partnerships USA and the Law Foundation of Silicon Valley found that an estimated 43,490 renter households in Santa Clara County are at high risk of eviction, threatening to increase the county’s homeless population by as much as 225%. The impending eviction crisis is “hardly inevitable,” reports Palo Alto Online.

More than 1,600 California households have been evicted since Governor Gavin Newsom declared a statewide state of emergency on March 4, according to data that CalMatters obtained. Nearly a third of those evictions occurred after Governor Newsom’s March 19 shelter-in-place order, and more than 400 took place since Newsom issued an eviction moratorium on March 27.

California is rapidly approaching what has been dubbed the “eviction cliff,” or the point where true protection from being evicted during the pandemic will fall away, at least for a short time. If that happens, as many as 1 million families across the state — some 365,000 in Los Angeles County alone — could find themselves at risk of being forced out of their homes, perhaps as soon as September.

Updated on August 19, 2020.

The California Homeless Coordinating and Financing Council released a “Guide to Strategic Uses of Key State and Federal Funds to Reduce Homelessness During the COVID-19 Pandemic.” You can access the guide here.

The Terner Center for Housing Innovation at the University of California, Berkeley estimates that nearly three-quarters of the 903,000 renter households impacted by COVID-related job losses in California are households of color – meaning that the household includes at least one Black, Latinx, Asian, or other person of color.

The San Francisco Chronicle reports on several bills moving through the California legislature that would prevent a looming eviction crisis. The legislature, however, has less than a month left in its pandemic-shortened session to address the impending surge of evictions. 

State Assemblyman David Chiu (D-San Francisco) and a group of public health officials expressed concern about a potential wave of evictions across the state and called for continued emergency protections for renters.

San Francisco Superior Court Judge Charles Haines upheld Supervisor Dean Preston’s ordinance blocking COVID-19-related evictions for nonpayment of rent during the pandemic.

Santa Clara County Supervisor Dave Cortese is calling on the federal government to provide robust resources and urging county officials to take steps to prevent a surge of evictions. Cortese is working on a plan that would enable tenants and landlords to develop repayment plans before they become legal disputes.

The Los Angeles Times editorial board urges Governor Gavin Newsom and state lawmakers to enact strong tenant protections before the Judicial Council ends the statewide eviction moratorium.

The Napa County Board of Supervisors extended its eviction moratorium until September 30. The county recently surveyed approximately 240 tenants and found that, together, they owed $180,000 in back rent.

Updated on August 11, 2020.

Despite state and federal eviction protections, some California tenants have faced increasingly aggressive eviction tactics over the last month. The state’s judiciary council announced that it is considering rescinding its eviction ban. Advocates continue to urge officials to intervene to prevent hundreds of thousands of California renters from being evicted.

San Francisco Mayor London Breed extended the city’s eviction moratorium through August 31.

As its eviction moratorium ends, San Diego County faces a looming eviction crisis. The Legal Aid Society of San Diego warns that the $15.1 million of CARES Act funds that the San Diego City Council allocated to emergency rental assistance in June is insufficient to meet the needs of San Diego’s renters. 

Approximately 365,000 Los Angeles households could be at risk of eviction if California’s eviction moratorium expires next month. California Supreme Court Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye announced on July 24 that the Council will soon consider rescinding the current tenant protections put in place during the COVID-19 pandemic. The decree could expire as soon as August 14.

Updated on August 4, 2020.

San Francisco Mayor London Breed on July 21 announced a plan to fund the Homelessness Recovery Plan to help the city create more housing and shelter for people experiencing homelessness. The investments will make 6,000 additional placements available through Coordinated Entry, including 4,500 placements in Permanent Supportive Housing. The plan will include placements to ensure that residents who have been temporarily residing in hotels during the pandemic are not forced back on the streets.

The Los Angeles Times reported that the plaintiffs in a lawsuit accusing San Diego officials of failing to adequately protect people experiencing homelessness with disabilities during the pandemic have amended their lawsuit. The lawsuit accuses the city of pushing people experiencing homelessness into the Convention Center shelter instead of hotel rooms. “By expending taxpayer funds on a congregate setting, instead of non-congregate settings, the city knew that it was effectively excluding homeless individuals with disabilities, who rely on the city’s homeless programs, from accessing shelter and services during the COVID-19 pandemic and/or placing them at greater risk of contracting COVID-19,” the amended complaint alleges.

City Lab examined how residential overcrowding is driving the high rates of COVID-19 among Latinos in San Francisco’s gentrified Mission District.

According to a new study, tens of thousands of households in Santa Clara County could become homeless in the next if policymakers do not enact robust renter protections.

Santa Barbara County is shifting its focus from people experiencing homelessness into hotel rooms amid the pandemic to helping them make the transition directly to permanent housing.

Updated on July 28, 2020.

The Los Angeles Times reports new state testing guidelines that place people experiencing homelessness into “Tier 2,” second in the line of testing priority, only behind hospital patients with COVID symptoms, healthcare workers, and people with known COVID-positive contacts. 

The Bakersfield-Kern Regional Homeless Collaborative plan to lease hotel space to temporarily house people experiencing homelessness has been postponed due to negative feedback from both community residents and business owners.

Updated on July 20, 2020.

San Francisco Mayor London Breed announced on July 9 that the city will move 200 residents who have been temporarily residing in hotels during the pandemic into long-term homes by the end of the year through a Flexible Housing Subsidy Pool. The “Flex Pool” is a housing strategy that matches people experiencing homelessness to vacant private market apartments and provides supportive services. The first 18 months of Flex Pool operations will be funded through philanthropic dollars.

The San Francisco Chronicle reported on the rise of homelessness in the Bay Area suburbs over the last several years. The coronavirus pandemic, which is expected to push more people into poverty, will make the homelessness crisis that is already impacting the suburbs more visible.

The San Francisco Chronicle interviewed an individual who has become recently homeless at age 77, highlighting the dangers facing seniors experiencing homelessness. Bureaucracy is preventing thousands of people experiencing homelessness, particularly the elderly, from accessing hotel rooms during the pandemic. 

The Alameda County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously on June 30 to enter into a $24.5 million, six-month contract with five hotels to provide temporary shelter to people experiencing homelessness who have tested positive for the coronavirus or have underlying medical conditions. The county’s contract with Day Hotel is one of our four that includes an option for the county to purchase the building in the coming months.

The San Francisco Chronicle discusses the challenges facing a family of seven that is on the brink of homelessness and trying to survive the economic devastating of the pandemic. Without significant federal intervention, the Bay Area’s already dire homeless crisis will worsen.

Governor Gavin Newsom announced on June 30 Project Homekey, the next phase of California’s COVID-19 response. Under the $1.3 billion Project Homekey program, counties will partner with the state to acquire and rehabilitate hotels, motels, vacant apartment buildings, and other housing types to housing people experiencing homelessness. 

Activists in the Bay Area report that many people experiencing homelessness are falling through the cracks in California’s Project Roomkey, forcing local groups to step in and provide shelter where government efforts have fallen short.

Ventura County’s 211 hotline has seen an increase in calls for housing assistance and from people who report being at-risk of homelessness during the pandemic. Even before COVID-19, demand for affordable homes and housing assistance far exceeded the county’s supply. 

According to officials, El Dorado County has housed approximately 40 people experiencing homelessness in two hotels under Project Roomkey. The program is set to run through July, but there is a chance that it could be extended through August. A member of the county’s COVID-19 homeless community response team said that the county’s experience with Project Roomkey will help it develop a more comprehensive strategy to end homelessness.

The Californian examined how the coronavirus pandemic has exacerbated the housing challenges of low-income families in Salinas.

After reporting nine cases of COVID-19 on June 27, the Modesto Gospel Mission reported on July 3 that the outbreak among their residents and staff members has reached 22 cases. According to the executive director, 18 residents and four staff members have tested positive.

Updated on July 13, 2020.

Governor Gavin Newsom announced on June 30 Project Homekey, the next phase of California’s COVID-19 response. Under the $1.3 billion Project Homekey program, counties will partner with the state to acquire and rehabilitate hotels, motels, vacant apartment buildings, and other housing types to housing people experiencing homelessness.

Activists in the Bay Area report that many people experiencing homelessness are falling through the cracks in California’s Project Roomkey, forcing local groups to step in and provide shelter where government efforts have fallen short.

After reporting nine cases of COVID-19 on June 27, the Modesto Gospel Mission reported on July 3 that the outbreak among their residents and staff members has reached 22 cases. According to the executive director, 18 residents and four staff members have tested positive.

Governor Gavin Newsom announced at a press conference on June 30 that California has acquired 15,679 hotel and motel rooms and moved approximately 14,200 people experiencing homelessness into the rooms.

California legislators are working to push through a wide range of bills aimed at addressing homelessness and housing insecurity. For example, Assembly Bill 3269 would mandate state and local governments to develop plans to reduce homelessness by 90% within eight years. However, the state budget, which has been significantly impacted by the pandemic, will be the biggest barrier to passing legislation that would address homelessness.

While it’s unclear whether pandemic-related releases from state prisons have exacerbated California’s homeless crisis, El Dorado County District Attorney Vern Pierson warns that it’s only a matter of time until this occurs.

Updated on July 7, 2020.

The Mercury News discusses how the coronavirus pandemic could exacerbate Black Californians’ housing crisis. Black households are disproportionately more likely to be cost burdened, and tenants’ rights groups fear that a wave of evictions is on the horizon.

Updated on June 29, 2020.

The Los Angeles Times reports that some landlords are still trying to evict tenants by cutting off their utilities, locking them out of their homes, and deploying other illegal tactics.

Housing advocates are concerned that without rent relief, Oakland will experience a post-pandemic homelessness boom after the eviction moratorium expires on August 31.

The Santa Barbara City Council unanimously approved a plan to allocate 70% of its CARES Act funding for emergency rental assistance and 30% to provide social services. The city plans to distribute the funds through a community organization.

A federal judge approved an agreement in which the city and county of Los Angeles will provide housing for nearly 7,000 people experiencing homelessness who live near freeways and those over 65 or vulnerable to the coronavirus. Los Angeles County will spend $300 million over five years to provide services, and the city will provide 6,000 new beds within ten months and an additional 700 beds over 18 months.

The city of Santa Rosa’s plans to remove up to 60 people living in encampments on underpasses of Highway 101 will begin only after Sonoma County health officials conduct coronavirus testing after the virus recently infiltrated the encampments.

The National Health Foundation is partnering with Project Roomkey to provide temporary housing and support services to people experiencing homelessness who suffer from medical conditions. The residents receive medical care, medications, meals, and case management to help them find permanent housing.

A makeshift trailer park to provide shelter to seniors experiencing homelessness in San Jose is being dismantled just one month after being opened. A San Jose Housing Department official said that accessibility issues and recurring sewage and electrical emergencies made the project difficult, and that the city decided that housing elderly adults experiencing homelessness in hotels was a better option.

Contra Costa County officials hope that several of the six hotels and motels the county has leased to provide temporary shelter to people experiencing homelessness will eventually be purchased for permanent housing. While it would be more efficient to purchase existing buildings for permanent housing rather than construct new facilities, an official said that there is no funding mechanism for purchases of the lease sites.

The San Diego Housing Authority unanimously voted on June 16 to approve the San Diego Housing Commission’s fiscal year 2021 budget, which includes $19 million to purchase hotels and $10 million to house people experiencing homelessness in those properties.

San Francisco reached a deal with the group of Tenderloin residents and business owners that sued the city in federal court last month. The settlement requires San Francisco to remove 70% of the tents crowding Tenderloin’s sidewalks in just over a month and to provide temporary housing to the people residing in the tents in vacant hotel rooms or sanctioned encampments. 

Homeful Foundation, a nonprofit organization, is partnering with the Pfizer Foundation and the state of California to provide RV trailers for families experiencing homelessness in three counties throughout California.

Updated on June 22, 2020.

California’s Department of Housing and Community Development released Notices of Funding Availability for $61 million in federal CARES Act funding through the Emergency Solutions Grants program and the Community Development Block Grant program.

The Alameda County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved spending $23.3 million in state and federal COVID-19 funding to purchase Oakland’s former Lake Merritt Lodge to transform it into a shelter for medically vulnerable people experiencing homelessness. Local advocates are devising strategies for turning COVID-19 emergency measures into programs that help people experiencing homelessness beyond the pandemic. 

LAist discusses advocates’ concerns about what will happen to the 9,400 people experiencing homeless who are temporarily residing in hotel rooms acquired as part of Project Roomkey after the hotel contracts expire. 

Nevada County’s housing resource manager said that the county has placed more than 60 people experiencing homelessness in local motels since March 18, using funds from pre-existing programs and California’s Project Roomkey initiative.

The Gospel Center Rescue Mission has quickly transformed a home in Stockton that was originally purchased as additional housing for people experiencing homelessness into an eight-bed, temporary facility for men experiencing homelessness who have tested positive for the coronavirus.

The North Westwood Neighborhood Council urged the city and state to increase efforts to shelter people experiencing homelessness in hotels and motels. The council believes that Project Roomkey is moving too slowly, and that Los Angeles should take steps to expedite the room-securing process.

Updated on June 12, 2020.

An op-ed in the San Francisco Chronicle discusses that while the coronavirus does not discriminate against who it infects, our social structures do. The authors argue that providing shelter in vacant hotel rooms is the most effective way to meet the needs of people experiencing homelessness.

Governor Gavin Newsom is proposing that state environmental regulations should be waived for cities and counties that want to convert hotels into housing for people experiencing homelessness using federal funding.

The heatwave sweeping across the Bay Area during the middle of the coronavirus pandemic places seniors and people experiencing homelessness at higher risk of illness. Advocates are urging the city and county to use vacant hotel rooms to shelter seniors and people experiencing homelessness.

The Los Angeles Times editorial board outlined seven steps that California can take to prevent a coronavirus-related housing and homelessness disaster. The article discussed solutions such as emergency rental assistance and purchasing hotels and motels for permanent housing.

Approximately half of the 15,000 hotel and motel rooms that California has leased are occupied. The occupied rooms account for less than 5% of the 151,000 people experiencing homelessness across shelter. As of May 18, 7,919 hotel rooms were occupied and another 7,700 were vacant. 

California counties are facing barriers to housing people experiencing homelessness in hotels across the state. Acquiring rooms, negotiating leases, managing local protests, and getting adequate staffing are some of the concerns expressed by local officials.

Dozens of community members protested on May 16 outside of a Motel 6 in Rosemead, which will soon provide shelters to people experiencing homelessness during the pandemic. The protesters expressed concerns about how the hotel program, which is part of California’s Project Roomkey, might negatively impact on the community.
 

Governor Gavin Newsom released his revised budget proposal on May 14. While the new budget eliminates the ambitious $750 million state fund for housing and homeless services, Governor Newsom intends to use $750 million in federal funds to buy the hotels and motels across the state.

The California Rental Housing Association is urging cities and counties to dedicate millions of dollars in federal grants to rental assistance. The association, composed of more than 20,000 rental housing owners, has proposed a statewide rental assistance program, which could provide up to three months of assistance to renters experiencing financial loss due to COVID-19.

A hotel in downtown Los Angeles has been converted into a 460-room temporary homeless shelter. The Salvation Army will provide mental health and substance abuse services at the hotel, and the program will be open for 90 days.

Marin County legislators have expressed frustration that the Newsom administration has not moved quickly enough to share federal coronavirus relief funds with smaller counties and cities. The CARES Act allocated $9.8 billion directly to California, and jurisdictions with more than $500,000 residents received approximately $5.8 billion. Jurisdictions with smaller populations, like Marin County, are still waiting on California to allocate a portion of its federal funds.

An article in the Los Angeles Times examines the logistical challenges of testing people experiencing homelessness in Los Angeles County.

There has been a significant increase in deaths of people experiencing homelessness in Orange County, with deaths in April reaching their highest level in at least five years. Health officials state that they are unsure how many people experiencing homelessness have been tested for the coronavirus.

Nearly two months after San Jose received more than 100 trailers from the state to provide housing for people experiencing homelessness, the city is expected to use some of the trailers. The San Jose City Council unanimously approved the allocation of nearly $730,000 to operate 90 trailers.

San Francisco Mayor London Breed faces growing criticism from city officials and advocates for not doing enough to move people experiencing homelessness into hotel rooms. While more than 1,000 people have been moved into hotel rooms, approximately 1,700 hotel rooms remain vacant.

Landlords in the Bay Area are still starting the eviction process and threatening to remove tenants despite California’s eviction moratorium. After a tenant who lost their job as an on-site property manager was threatened with eviction, the city of Alameda issued a press statement reiterating that state and local laws prohibit evictions during COVID-19.

San Jose City Council Members Sylvia Arenas and Maya Esparza discussed the need for a COVID-19 recovery that centers the needs of the most marginalized people in our communities.

Tenant and landlord groups across the Bay Area are urging federal and state officials to provide billions of dollars in rental assistance to prevent a wave of evictions and widespread housing insecurity. Amie Fishman, executive director of the Non-Profit Housing Association of Northern California, an NLIHC state partner, highlighted the need for a bold federal aid package to address the needs of low-income tenants and future housing development. 

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti announced that over the weekend, LA County officials have acquired an additional 505 motel rooms for people experiencing homelessness, bringing the total number of rooms to 2,711.

Homeless activists in Los Angeles are urging Mayor Eric Garcetti to use his emergency powers to commandeer hotels and motels to provide much needed shelter for people experiencing homelessness amid the pandemic.

An editorial in the Los Angeles Times discussed the “appalling” nature of NIMBYism against housing for people experiencing homelessness, especially during a pandemic. Some cities, including Lawndale and Covina, have protested decisions to provide shelter for people experiencing homelessness in local hotels.

San Francisco officials announced that the city has acquired more than 120 recreational vehicles and trailers to shelter people experiencing homelessness during COVID-19. Of the 120 trailers, 91 were provided by the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services and 29 were leased by the city.

The city of Encinitas entered into an agreement on March 20 with a local nonprofit to house up to 80 households experiencing homelessness in motels. When the first batch of vouchers neared the expiration dates and California released a more detailed list of hotel room eligibility, the Encinitas City Council announced that it would only fund voucher extensions for up to 22 households until May 15. Many individuals experiencing homelessness in the city have already returned to their prior living situations or will soon, increasing their vulnerability to the coronavirus.

San Francisco’s largest homeless shelter, Multi-Service Center South, experienced one of the city’s largest outbreaks. The shelter opened again last week after the city shut down the facility to clean and moved its residents to private hotel rooms.

A resident of an Oakland homeless encampment has tested positive for COVID-19. Health officials are rushing to test and isolate the individual’s contacts to prevent an outbreak.

Los Angeles County Supervisors Mark Ridley-Thomas and Janice Hahn co-authored a motion to expand the county’s efforts to house seniors experiencing homelessness in vacant hotel and motel rooms. Ridley-Thomas and Hahn have expressed the urgent need to create a sustainable crisis response that addresses the needs of people experiencing homelessness after the acute crisis is over.

California jails and prisons are releasing thousands of people who were incarcerated for non-violent offenses to reduce crowding and stem the spread of COVID-19; however, activists and service providers report that many of the people recently released from Bay Area jails are ending up in encampments, shelters, or sleeping in their cars.

Remezcla spoke with Oscar Cruz, the chief operating officer of United Way of Los Angeles, to learn more about how the coronavirus pandemic is impacting people experiencing homelessness in Los Angeles County.

Two people experiencing homelessness who were sheltering at the San Diego Convention Center have tested positive for COVID-19. Both individuals will be kept off-site until it is safe for them to return to the shelter or be released to a permanent housing solution.

The Los Angeles Times examined how the coronavirus may impact California’s plan to address the housing crisis: density.

U.S. District Judge David O. Carter overruled cities’ objections to Governor Gavin Newsom’s emergency order to house people experiencing homelessness at local hotels. Several cities, including Bell Gardens and Lawndale, made efforts to prevent local hotels from contracting with Los Angeles County as part of Project Roomkey.

The Pathways/STAIR Center, a Berkeley homeless shelter, has been shut down temporarily after one of its residents tested positive for COVID-19. Most of the residents were moved to an Oakland hotel that is part of Project Roomkey.

People experiencing homelessness who have not tested positive for COVID-19 and do not have symptoms will have access to a new isolation site at a LaQuinta Inn in Berkeley. This hotel would be the third known site for people experiencing homelessness in Alameda County.

Health officials announced that 43 residents and staff of the Union Rescue Mission, a homeless shelter in Los Angeles, have tested positive for COVID-19. More than 200 tests were administered at the shelter within the past week.

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti announced that the city will deploy medical street teams and set up trailers to protect people experiencing homelessness during the coronavirus pandemic. Street teams will conduct rapid-result COVID-19 testing, health screenings, and provide access to shelters or other temporary housing. The Los Angeles Fire Department will also open a pop-up testing clinic in Skid Row.

San Francisco Mayor London N. Breed announced on April 22 that the first round of funding from the Give2SF COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund has been allocated. The Give2SF will provide access to housing and food security for San Franciscans, with a focus on supporting undocumented residents, seniors, and people with disabilities.

Chico’s recently appointed Homeless Solutions Coordinator, Joy Amaro, reported that 88 people experiencing homelessness are currently being housed in hotel and motel rooms. According to documents sent to the Chico City Council, Amaro is exploring additional solutions for providing shelter to people experiencing homelessness during COVID-19, including “safe parking zones.”

East Bay service providers are scrambling to avoid a repeat of what happened in San Francisco last week, where officials were unable to avoid an outbreak of COVID-19 from occurring at one the city’s largest homeless shelters.

None of the 93 homeless people who tested positive for the coronavirus in San Francisco’s largest shelter showed serious symptoms of the disease, lending urgency to the need for widespread public testing and emphasizing the importance of “contact investigations” the city is now ramping up.

Governor Gavin Newsom provided an update on Project Roomkey, a program to house people experiencing homelessness during the pandemic. He announced that California has acquired 10,974 hotel rooms and 5,025 motel rooms. Motel 6 is providing rooms for people experiencing homelessness at 47 locations in 19 counties in California. He said that more than 4,000 sheltered and unsheltered people have been moved into motel rooms thus far.

Governor Newsom charged some municipalities of resisting the conversion of hotels and motels into emergency housing. He accused certain cities of allowing NIMBY politics to interfere with a public health imperative.

After a COVID-19 outbreak at San Francisco’s largest homeless shelter infected at least 105 people as of last Friday, the city is shifting its approach to addressing homelessness during the pandemic. San Francisco’s city council unanimously passed an emergency ordinance mandating the city to acquire 8,250 hotel rooms for homeless people by April 26.

Although President Trump quickly granted California Governor Gavin Newsom’s request for a major disaster declaration on Monday, the Administration left out a large amount of individual aid programs.

The COVID-19 pandemic is expected to worsen California’s already extreme shortage of affordable housing.

CalMatters took a look at the five biggest housing-related challenges for the state during the pandemic.

California Governor Gavin Newsom announced a statewide eviction ban for renters affected by the COVID-19 crisis.

Homeless service providers and government officials are scrambling to house the homeless as the COVID-19 pandemic worsens in the state.

An increasing number of food service centers in California that many homeless residents depend on have shut down.

Los Angeles

More than 150,000 people applied for the Los Angeles COVID-19 rent assistance program on July 13. The $103 million rent relief program is only anticipated to assist approximately 50,000 applicants.

Updated on July 20, 2020.

The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority released its full COVID-19 Recovery Plan for people experiencing homelessness on June 23. The plan outlines an ambitious goal to rapidly move 15,000 high-risk people experiencing homelessness into permanent housing, including the 4,000 people who were provided temporary shelter through Project Roomkey. The program will cost $800 million, which includes approximately $600 million in new funding over the next three years and $200 million in costs that were already budgeted in the homeless service system. 

The Los Angeles Times reports that Los Angeles County’s plan to lease hotel and motel rooms for 15,000 people experiencing homelessness is falling short of its goal. Officials have secured only 3,601 rooms - a fourth of the number needed to shelter all those who are eligible. 

The Los Angeles City Council on June 23 approved a $100 million rent relief program, The program, funded through California’s allocation of federal CARES Act dollars, is expected to help nearly 50,000 families who have been impacted by COVID-19.

An editorial in the Los Angeles Times argues that while Los Angeles County’s $100 million rental assistance fund is an important first step, state legislators should take action on a proposed statewide rent relief plan and Congress must invest significant resources to ensure that the pandemic’s economic fallout does not devastate landlords, renters, and the housing market. 

Updated on June 29, 2020.

The number of people experiencing homelessness across Los Angeles County increased 12.7% over the past year to more than 66,400, and there is significant concern that the figure will rise again due to COVID-19.

The Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles filed a federal lawsuit against the city on June 11, arguing that the city’s efforts to prevent evictions for tenants who cannot pay rent due to the pandemic violate landlords’ Fifth Amendment rights against government taking of their property without compensation. 

An article in the Los Angeles Times discusses how the curfews put in place due to the protests over police brutality have created additional challenges for people experiencing homelessness in Los Angeles. Although Los Angeles County’s notice exempted people experiencing homelessness from the curfew, alerts about the curfews provided contradictory and confusing information.

A new report released by the UCLA Luskin Center warns that evictions and homelessness will rise precipitously once COVID-19 protections are lifted. The study estimates that at least 365,000 households in Los Angeles are likely to be unable to pay their rent due to loss of income and no access to income assistance like unemployment insurance.

Updated on June 12, 2020.

The interim director of the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority told county officials that they hope to place all individuals in COVID-19-related programs into permanent housing by April 2022. Service providers plan to increase their capacity to identify housing units and fill the rooms within seven days of acquiring them. 

Los Angeles announced the country’s largest COVID-19-related rental assistance program, which is estimated to help up to 80,000 families. City Council President Nury Martinez proposed that $100 million of the $700 million allocated to Los Angeles in the CARES Act be allocated to the renter’s relief fund. Those who qualify could potentially receive $1,000 per month for up to two months.

The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority discussed short-, medium-, and long-term strategies to rapidly move 15,000 people experiencing homelessness into housing. The LA Rehousing Recovery Strategy will involve a large-scale effort to acquire and lease properties, and it will rely on emergency local, state, and federal investments.

More than 300 people experiencing homelessness were moved into an undisclosed hotel in downtown Los Angeles as part of Project Roomkey. The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority hopes that Project Roomkey is a launching pad to provide services and permanent affordable housing.

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors authorized the Los Angeles County Development Authority to use Community Development Block Grant funds to create and administer the COVID-19 Emergency Rental Assistance Program.

Los Angeles advocates and Mayor Eric Garcetti are objecting to US District Judge David O. Carter’s order to move thousands of people experiencing homelessness living near freeways, overpasses, and off-ramps. Mayor Garcetti and others are concerned that the order could result in people experiencing homelessness being moved, but not into shelters or housing. 

A federal judge issued a preliminary injunction on May 15 requiring the city of Los Angeles and LA County to provide shelter for an estimated 6,000 to 7,000 people experiencing homelessness camping near freeway ramps and under overpasses. U.S. District Court Judge David O. Carter gave officials until May 22 to develop a plan for providing humane housing for thousands of people experiencing homelessness living near freeways.

Orange County is currently converting a disused juvenile detention center to host beds for homeless individuals that are experiencing the symptoms of COVID-19.

A high-end L.A. hotel is now the home for homeless fleeing COVID. The city hopes to secure 15,000 hotel rooms for the city’s homeless population.

Sacramento

Sacramento County has converted three motels into temporary shelters for people experiencing homelessness without completing the typical process of seeking public input and City Council approvals. While the leases for the three motels do not contain purchase agreements, local officials are working on a plan to provide permanent housing for the individuals staying in motels after the pandemic passes.

In Sacramento, the state’s stay at home order has been in place for two weeks, but no new shelter beds have been created. As a result, individuals experiencing homelessness are resorting to living in vacant homes. Sacramento police removed three homeless adults from a vacant home they resided in, citing them for trespass.

San Francisco

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors passed a COVID-19-related eviction ban on June 9. The legislation, which passed 10-1, will permanently bar landlords from evicting tenants if they cannot pay rent due to pandemic-related issues. NextCity also reported on San Francisco’s legislation.

Hundreds of people experiencing homelessness in San Francisco received COVID-19 testing this weekend as part of the University of California, San Francisco’s widespread testing effort.

Updated on June 12, 2020.

Business Insider explored San Francisco’s temporary sanctioned tent encampments. San Francisco city supervisors, homeless advocates, and service providers have criticized Mayor London Breed’s refusal to acquire more than 8,000 hotel rooms to protect people experiencing homelessness.

As of last week, only 1,011 of 2,768 - or approximately 37% - of vacant hotel rooms in San Francisco acquired through Project Roomkey were occupied, putting the city far behind other California counties. San Francisco disputed these statistics, saying that they have filled at least 47% of the rooms, including “vulnerable populations” in addition to people experiencing homelessness in their counts.

While San Francisco has swept homeless encampments for years, the city is now establishing city-sanctioned open-air encampments. San Francisco launched the first of five “Safe Sleeping Sites,” with the hope that people experiencing homelessness can practice social distancing in a controlled site and have access to shelters and foods.

Bay Area authorities are working to quickly get individuals experiencing homelessness off the street – moving some 2,000 people in its shelters to new locations throughout the city. 

The San Francisco Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing advised homeless shelters in the city to not accept new residents. It additionally sent out instructions for social distancing, but told providers not to implement them until notified by the agency.

San Francisco is reporting its first case of COVID-19 at a homeless shelter. The individual is in isolation at a hotel room. The city is encouraging homeless residents to pitch tents for protection.

The City of Laguna Woods is “deeply concerned” with Orange County’s decision to place COVID-19 positive individuals inside a hotel in that city.

The COVID-19 pandemic is rapidly increasing California’s efforts to house individuals experiencing homelessness. California has procured 7,000 hotel rooms to temporarily house individuals with COVID-19, COVID-19 symptoms, or are uniquely vulnerable to the disease.

Thousands of individuals experiencing homelessness in San Francisco remain on the street – despite thousands of hotel rooms remaining empty. Inaction early on in the crisis and political disagreements threaten to stall efforts to house the entire population – not just the lucky few.

The number of coronavirus infections at a single San Francisco homeless shelter went from five to 70 in three days. The outbreak, which included two staff members, is the largest reported at a single shelter in the United States.  

In San Francisco, doctors face difficult choices as the number of homeless individuals with COVID increases. It is difficult to release homeless patients from the hospital to anywhere other than the streets: shelters stopped admitting new people over well-founded concerns about the risk of a Covid-19 outbreak among residents, eliminating precious shelter beds in a city with only 1,200 of them to serve 7,600 homeless adults.

Santa Fe

The City of Santa Fey will be using city and county funds to rent hotel rooms for some of the most at-risk members of its homeless population.

Santa Rosa

Santa Rosa will open its first-ever city-sanctioned homeless encampment to protect people experiencing homelessness during the pandemic. The new sanctioned site will be able to accommodate up to 140 people.

San Diego

San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer announced that a recently renovated Super 8 motel will serve as temporary housing for families experiencing homelessness who have been impacted by the pandemic. The motel is making available 42 units, a fitness room, laundry facilities, and a shared kitchen and communal spaces.

Oakland

Several weeks after Oakland opened 67 trailers on a vacant lot to house people experiencing homelessness, some residents are complaining of water, electrical, and safety issues that have sent two people to the hospital. Eighty-four people have moved into the shelters so far. An Oakland spokesperson said that the city and service providers are working on fixing these maintenance issues.

San Francisco Department of Public Health

• San Francisco Interim Guidance for Safe Sleeping Villages to Reduce the Risk of COVID-19 - May 19
• San Francisco Interim Guidance for Safe Sleeping for Unsheltered Persons Experiencing Homelessness to Reduce the Risk of COVID-19 - May 19

The State of California has published their recommended protocol and strategic approaches for COVID-19 response for individuals experiencing homelessness.

The San Francisco Street Sheet released 7 steps they are urging the city to do to address the needs of homeless people and those at risk of becoming homeless as a result of COVID-19. The steps aim to slow the spread of COVID-19 among unhoused populations. 

The San Francisco Department of Public Health has provided interim guidance for medical providers caring for people who use drugs (PWUD) and need to be quarantined. The guide provides general recommendations as well as specific recommendations for various drug types.

Alameda County has released both COVID-19 street outreach and homeless shelter health guidance for the area. Vast resources for both are listed.

San José shared steps the city has taken to mitigate the impact COVID-19 could have on homeless individuals and families. The City is looking to expand temporary shelter capacity, increase the amount of hygiene equipment, and more. 

Nevada County's Homeless Plan follows the guidance provided by the local, State and Federal government as pertains to COVID-19 and Homelessness. As that guidance changes and the situation evolve, the plan will be updated as resources allow.

Long Beach

Long Beach will begin accepting applications for its $5 million rental assistance program on July 13. The Long Beach Emergency Rental Assistance (LB CARES) program is funded through federal Community Development Block Grants.

Updated on June 29, 2020.

Federal, state, and local eviction moratoriums are rapidly expiring and the CARES Act supplemental unemployment benefits will end soon; at that time, millions of low-income renters will be at risk of losing their homes. The NLIHC estimates at least $100 billion in emergency rental assistance is needed to keep low-income renters stably housed during and after the pandemic. This tracker links to news reports of the growing evictions crisis in various cities and states. Check NLIHC's cumulative list of eviction updates.

A report by Working Partnerships USA and the Law Foundation of Silicon Valley found that an estimated 43,490 renter households in Santa Clara County are at high risk of eviction, threatening to increase the county’s homeless population by as much as 225%. The impending eviction crisis is “hardly inevitable,” reports Palo Alto Online. More than 1,600 California households have been evicted since Governor Gavin Newsom declared a statewide state of emergency on March 4, according to data that CalMatters obtained. Nearly a third of those evictions occurred after Governor Newsom’s March 19 shelter-in-place order, and more than 400 took place since Newsom issued an eviction moratorium on March 27. BuzzFeed News reports that more than one million Californians have yet to receive unemployment benefits. California is poised to resume evictions on September 1, putting approximately 30,000 Californians who are unable to work or collect unemployment benefits at risk of eviction.

Updated on August 28, 2020.

California is rapidly approaching what has been dubbed the “eviction cliff,” or the point where true protection from being evicted during the pandemic will fall away, at least for a short time. If that happens, as many as 1 million families across the state — some 365,000 in Los Angeles County alone — could find themselves at risk of being forced out of their homes, perhaps as soon as September.

Updated: August 12

The only uniform statewide protection against evictions comes from the California Judicial Council, which has frozen all eviction proceedings since April 6. Evictions can still be filed, but no hearings are taking place and no judgments being issued (except for in emergency cases). The Chief Justice originally stated these protections would extend until 90 days after the state of emergency is lifted. Though the state of emergency is still in place, the Chief Justice announced on July 24 that the council will vote on whether to lift these protections soon, potentially allowing for eviction proceedings to begin as early August 14. Chief Justice's original reasoning for their intervention was to give the Governor and state legislature time to come up with their own policies. In June, she had announced that the council would consider repealing its order but rescinded the proposal to give the governor and legislature more time.  Though legislation regarding a statewide eviction moratorium has been proposed, none have been agreed upon. In response to the Governor's executive order, about one-third of local governments in California have issued some sort of eviction protections, most of which require proof of COVID-19 related hardship. Many have expired. 

Updated: August 1

In the third week of July, 29.5% of adults in California reported they had missed their previous housing payment or had little confidence they would make their next one on time, according to a weekly survey conducted by the Census. In the same survey, 1,554,278 renters reported they had not paid their previous rental payment. 

The Judicial Council of California was the only entity to provide statewide protections against evictions, halting them unilaterally since April. But on July 24, the Supreme Court Chief Justice announced they would soon vote on whether to continue the order, potentially lifting it as early as August 14. 

Updated: July 29

Thousands of California families are doubling up. And if they aren't able to stay where they are, they’re going to be forced out onto the streets. According to a weekly survey by the Census, 27% of adults in the state either missed their last housing payment or have little/no confidence of being able to make next month’s housing payment.

Updated: July 16