January 12, 2021

Greetings members of the Senate Housing and Local Government Committee, 

Once again the Chair has chosen to take a scorched earth approach to eviction with SB 5160, a bill written by, for, and with eviction defense attorneys.  

Nothing in this legislation will help a single mother with two jobs that lost them to Covid-19 shutdowns. Nothing in this legislation will help a person in a mental health crisis. Nothing in this legislation will help a family hit with a huge medical expense. Nothing in this legislation will provide a sustainable income for a person who has lost benefits. Nothing. It will allow them to suffer through all this in a free rental unit. 

Except that it really isn’t free. In the end, while rent goes unpaid, so do utility payments, property taxes, repairs, maintenance, and in the end, mortgages. 

If passed, SB 5160 introduces uncertainty into an already uncertain housing market. As new units come on line, how will housing providers ensure residents don’t end up as non-payers protected for months on end by the provisions of this legislation? Many people worried about their futures will see these provisions as an opportunity to direct their cash away from rent they owe and toward other serious needs. 

When the emergency is over – and we don’t know when that is – what will be left of a housing market with significant debt and slowed production?

During public hearings you’ll hear more about the specific damage this legislation will do from housing providers of all kinds and sizes from all over the state. 

The right thing for the Committee to do is shelve this bill. Instead, you should engage with the housing community to find ways to prevent eviction. Remember, eviction is a rare and expensive intervention (only 1,215 evictions in the state’s largest city in 2016) that no housing provider wants to make. 

The entire focus of the Committee now should be holding the Governor accountable for how the State spends $508 million in rent relief. The money needs to pay rent as soon as possible for families and households suffering from the impacts of Covid-19. 

Sincerely, 
Roger Valdez 
Director