New report finds COVID-19 “Eviction Time-Bomb” could push over 43,000 families in Santa Clara County out of their homes after eviction moratorium ends
A new report by the Law Foundation and Working Partnerships USA finds that without additional protections, County’s homeless population could more than double as landlords evict low-income, Latinx, Black, and undocumented renters
Read the report here.
COVID-19 has cost thousands of people in Santa Clara County — especially Black and Latinx people working in industries that pay low wages — the jobs and income they depend on to make rent. Over 200,000 working people here filed claims for Unemployment Insurance (UI) or Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) just between March 15 and May 30, 2020. Thousands more, including many of the estimated 95,000 undocumented workers in the county, have likely been ineligible or unable to access programs to replace their income.
While Santa Clara County's eviction moratorium means landlords cannot evict people during the pandemic, renters must still pay back any missed rent within one year after the county ends the moratorium. That bill could run roughly $7,000 for three months without income for the average renter household.
This new report by the Law Foundation and Working Partnerships USA examines who’s most at risk of eviction in Santa Clara County after the current moratorium ends and back rent comes due. It finds:
An estimated 43,000 renter households are at the highest risk of eviction, primarily undocumented workers and others who aren’t receiving unemployment or other income replacement. That’s roughly 16 times the typical number of evictions filed in a whole year.
If just 10%-18% of those folks are evicted and end up homeless (in line with past research), that could double or triple the County’s homeless population.
As a consequence of racist housing and economic systems, those facing eviction are disproportionately likely to be Black and Latinx, women-headed households, and families with young children.
To avoid this eviction time bomb, policymakers must:
Permanently prohibit evictions for tenants who are unable to pay rent during the state of emergency due to loss of income from COVID-19.
Ensure every tenant facing eviction has access to legal assistance, education, and services to prevent displacement and homelessness.
Provide tenants most at-risk with relief to cancel rent debt and prevent evictions.
First and foremost, we need the Board of Supervisors to extend the Eviction Moratorium throughout the emergency, and permanently prohibit landlords from evicting tenants who are unable to repay back rent due to loss of income from COVID-19.