California has once again extended its eviction moratorium, this time until June 30, following an emergency bill approved Thursday night. Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis became the first woman in California history to sign a measure into law, as she was sworn in as acting Governor while Gov. Gavin Newsom was out of the country on a pre-planned family trip.
The extension allows state officials another three months to distribute rent relief funds to those impacted during the pandemic. The L.A. Times notes that the extension puts pressure on local jurisdictions responsible for administering the funds to quickly get the aid out the door before July 1.
According to the L.A. Times, fewer than half of the 506,796 household applications submitted to the state’s rent relief program have been served.
The extension only applies to those who had submitted an application for assistance by Thursday and are waiting on the aid. It will not cover every renter who is behind on rent.