Media Contact: Michelle.Sherwood@sen.ca.gov

SACRAMENTO, CA – Today, Senator Melissa Hurtado (D-Sanger) released the following statement after her bill, Senate Bill 847—The Homeowners Relief Act passed the Assembly Judiciary Committee:

“Housing is a human security issue, and we are seeing prices rise and availability decline across the state and country,” said Senator Hurtado. “Californians are struggling to make ends meet, and many homeowners face foreclosure, which will impact the availability of rental properties. SB 847 will help those who have been overlooked, and forgotten by closing the coverage gap.”

SB 847—The Homeowners Relief Act—will close the coverage gap for tenants and homeowners who have applied and been rejected from the state rental assistance program. As of July 2021, more than 1.8 million homeowners were behind on their mortgages, many of which own rental property. SB 847 will establish a grant program administered by the Department of Housing and Community Development, which will allow funds to be distributed to homeowner applicants.

While the Federal Emergency Rental Assistance Program has provided $5.2 billion to California to pay rent for low-income tenants who have been unable to pay their rent, the program only provides rental relief for tenants who make 80% of the area median income—leaving many without support or assistance.

A California law has allowed tenants to pay 25 percent of their past due rent, and in return tenants have received protection from eviction for the remainder of their unpaid rent. Tenants are not required to apply for funding through the Rental Assistance Program, leaving rental property owners with little recourse in their ability to collect unpaid rent.

About Senator Melissa Hurtado

Senator Melissa Hurtado represents a new generation of Latina leaders as the youngest woman ever elected to the California State Senate and a product of immigrant parents. Senator Hurtado represents the 14th Senate District and focuses on rural community issues that often go unheard — access to clean air and water, food insecurity and poverty, inequities in environmental policies, agriculture and access to health care. In July 2020, she was appointed to the national Biden Latino Leadership Committee alongside former Labor Secretary and current Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda Solis – the only two California Latinas on the Committee.

For more information, visit Senator Hurtado’s Website here or find her on Twitter at @Senator_Hurtado

###