The city of Berkeley Monday extended its pandemic-era eviction moratorium for some tenants until the end of August.
The moratorium began in March 2020 at the height of the pandemic. Many households were unable to pay rent because of employment losses when much of the economy was shut down. Some essential workers became ill as well.
The Alameda County eviction moratorium covers Berkeley residents and is in place until at least May 1, meaning Berkeley property owners would've been able to serve eviction notices beginning in May.
But on Monday night, the City Council voted to extend the current moratorium through August and are even considering extending it, despite property owners and managers saying that the ordinance has overstayed its usefulness.
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“I know from personal experience and the properties that we manage, that none of the people that have been basically not paying rent all this time, they all have jobs ... they are just taking advantage of the situation,” said a community member.
On Tuesday, the Alameda County Board of Supervisors will consider ending the protection set to expire in April.
