No assistance for Oakland tenants with California’s rental assistance program

With nearly 137,500 households in the Bay Area behind on rent and facing debilitating rent debt, the California Legislature’s passage of Senate Bill 91 in January — just days before the state’s COVID-19 Tenant Relief Act was set to expire — provided a critical safety net for thousands of tenants. The passage marked the first time the state adopted legislation that included both financial support for landlords and protections for tenants by restricting evictions. In short, it created a pathway for housing and economic stability in this unprecedented time of instability, particularly among often marginalized communities.

So why is the city of Oakland making it so hard for residents to leverage this lifeline?