On January 13, 2021, Housing is a Human Right (HHR) launched a statewide Ad Campaign to extend the eviction moratorium in California and advocate for a five billion dollar Renters and Landlords Survival Fund. AHF ran ads in four California newspapers: Sacramento Bee, San Francisco Chronicle, Los Angeles Times, and San Diego Tribune.
We are happy to announce that in one of our goals, we were successful. The eviction moratorium has been extended, which is fantastic news for those at risk of eviction. Though we take this moment to celebrate, we also recognize that there is still work to be done. As Ged Kenslea said in AHF’s initial call for the five-billion-dollar Renters and Landlords Survival Fund, “what’s needed is truly meaningful financial assistance for both renters and the small landlords who house them.”
California currently has at least $15 billion as a 2021 state budget surplus, so the call for a five-billion-dollar Renters and Landlords Survival Fund is well within possibility. When you consider that California is currently home to 17 million renters (almost half of the state’s population), the importance becomes all too clear. Housing is a Human Right continues to advocate for the five-billion-dollar fund that would help millions of renters and landlords in the wake of COVID-19. By advocating for and running campaigns that promote a Renters and Landlords Survival Fund, AHF hopes to change the national conversation and one day expand our housing advocacy nationwide.