Committee extends local COVID eviction limits through Dec. 31, 2021

The Land Use and Transportation Committee voted to recommend extending the local COVID-era eviction protections through Dec. 31, 2021.

Sponsor Supervisor Dean Preston said the item is the latest in a sequence of local measures his office has carried during the pandemic and described outreach coordinated with tenant organizations and volunteer groups to make residents aware of rent-relief applications and the right-to-counsel program. Preston said the extension covers all evictions except nonpayment, health-and-safety, or other specified categories and aimed to keep tenants in place while rent relief and legal assistance are pending.

Public commenters thanked supervisors and urged judges and service providers to honor protections; callers also asked for clearer communication about how local and state programs interact and for better referrals to rent-relief programs. The committee voted and recorded three ayes to recommend the ordinance to the full Board.