Dozens of people rallied in San Francisco Sunday as they demanded their local politicians to extend the eviction moratorium.
The major concern is that an estimated 92,000 Californians could lose their housing after the state’s eviction moratorium ends on Thursday.
“We just want to show people that there are people out here who do care. There are people who are fighting for tenants.” said Brian Zhang, organizer of Sunday’s rally.
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The state does have a $5.2 billion fund where landlords and tenants alike can apply for back rent and more than 49,000 Californians have already used the state support.
But some people worry that aid won’t come fast enough and households will find themselves with eviction notices come October 1.
“We are bracing ourselves for a lot of community members coming forward in need of support,” said Raul Peralez, San Jose City Councilman.
In the South Bay, Peralez said he will present a measure Tuesday to establish a tenant’s right to legal counsel, where the city pays for legal support needed to fight evictions in court.
“A lot of these individuals are from very low income. They don’t have the resources to get legal support to help them through an eviction,” he said.
Bay Area cities and counties are trying to help tenants get support in some way.
But the clock is definitely ticking and anxiety is high that too many feel they will not get help in time.
