BILL TO EXTEND EVICTION MORATORIUM FAST-MOVING THROUGH LEGISLATURE

As members are aware, the eviction moratorium is currently set to expire this Thursday, March 31, 2022. However, newly amended legislation would extend this rent relief protection by an additional three months.

According to the Los Angeles Times, “Assembly Bill 2179 would move the date on which landlords may initiate eviction proceedings from April 1 to July 1, as long as an application is submitted by March 31 to a rent relief program. Democratic legislative leaders said the extension would give applicants more time to receive the help and avoid losing their homes.”

AB 2179 will be heard in both policy and fiscal committees throughout the week. AB 2179 requires a 2/3 vote and contains an urgency clause. If signed, the bill will take effect immediately and will affect the current forms that members currently use. 

WMA is closely monitoring AB 2179 and will update members on the bill’s progress. 

To view the LA Times article, please click here: https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2022-03-24/california-legislative-leaders-move-to-extend-covid-rent-relief-eviction-protections

MANAGER TRAINING BILL CLEARS SENATE HOUSING COMMITTEE

SB 869 (Leyva), the state-led manager training and certification bill, passed the Senate Housing Committee last Thursday by a 5-2 vote. Republican Senators Pat Bates of Laguna Niguel and Rosilicie Ochoa-Bogh of Yucaipa voted NO on SB 869.

As noted in the analysis, the author, Senator Connie Leyva, agreed to amend the bill with the committee’s recommendations to extend the amount of time that HCD must develop the training from one year to 16 months. HCD is now required to have the training developed by May 1, 2024. Managers would still have one year after HCD develops the training to take it.     

We would like to thank everyone who responded to WMA’s recent VoterVoice campaign. WMA will continue its opposition to SB 869 as it heads to the Senate Public Safety Committee. A hearing date has not yet been set. Please stay tuned.  

BILL TO REMOVE RENT CONTROL EXEMPTION FOR NEW CONSTRUCTION SET FOR HEARING

SB 940 (Laird) will be heard in the Senate Judiciary Committee tomorrow. WMA activated a VoterVoice campaign last Friday calling upon the membership to engage and help us to defeat this bill, which eliminates the rent control exemption for the new construction of spaces in local rent control ordinances.

If you haven’t already, it is not too late to help and send an email to your State Senator via VoterVoice.

To view a link to the VoterVoice campaign, please click the link below:

https://www.votervoice.net/WMA/campaigns/93440/respond

It would also help to have members call into the committee to verbally oppose this legislation. 

The hearing is scheduled to start tomorrow at 1:30 pm.  There are 16 bills up in this committee and the meeting will be viewable online.  SB 940 is currently scheduled to be the 11^th bill on the agenda. 

Information on how to dial in for testimony will be available at Welcome to the Senate Standing Committee on Judiciary | Senate Judiciary Committee (ca.gov)

Information (phone number and access code) will be available tomorrow.  Once you dial in, further instructions will be provided, and when connected, you will provide your name, the park you own, and your position on SB 940.

Chris Wysocki is WMA’s State Legislative Advocate. He can be reached at chris@wma.org.