San Francisco, CA—Governor Jerry Brown on Tuesday signed AB 2819, a bill authored by Assemblymember David Chiu (D-San Francisco) that will prevent innocent tenants from having their credit tarnished by eviction actions that are resolved in their favor. The bills passed both houses of the Legislature by the narrowest of margins, receiving 41 “aye” votes in the Assembly and 21 “aye” votes in the Senate.
“Governor Brown’s signature will help protect innocent tenants in California. Tenants who prevail in eviction lawsuits should not be placed wrongfully on tenant blacklists, which jeopardize their credit and undermine their chances of finding new housing,” said Chiu. “This much-needed reform will help prevent working families from becoming homeless during our housing affordability crisis.”
Currently, in California, if a tenant receives an eviction notice and the eviction lawsuit is not resolved within 60 days, the tenant’s name is put on a privately-created tenant blacklist – even if she or he eventually prevails in court. This injustice impacts thousands of Californians every year, with the latest data showing approximately 500 eviction lawsuits unresolved within 60 days in San Francisco, 1,400 in Alameda County, and 6,000 in Los Angeles.
“When I told my landlords that I would fight their illegal efforts to force me and my infant twins out of my apartment last year, they threatened to file an unlawful detainer action against me. I was shocked to find out that if I didn’t win the case within 60 days, my name would go on a blacklist and my credit could be destroyed for seven years,” said Denise Barton, a former San Francisco tenant. “I’m so glad that the Governor signed AB 2819 so that other families in similar situations will not have to make the same impossible decision to leave their homes.”
“The housing security of every person who rents a home in California is enhanced with this legislation,” said Jith Meganathan, Policy Advocate for the Western Center on Law & Poverty, one of the bill’s co-sponsors. “A mere dispute with a landlord will no longer put tenants at risk of homelessness for seven years.”
“This bill will make a huge difference in the lives of so many renters struggling to find new housing but who find themselves unfairly blacklisted, even though they never had their day in court,” said Brian Augusta, Legislative Advocate, California Rural Legal Assistance Foundation, a co-sponsor.
“This is such a commonsense law,” said Ted Mermin, Executive Director of the Public Good Law Center. “So many of our clients have been afraid to fight unjust evictions because they were afraid their name would appear on a tenant blacklist. This new legislation is going to keep thousands of people in their homes.”
AB 2819 will take effect on January 1, 2017.
Assemblymember David Chiu (D – San Francisco) is the Chair of the Housing & Community Development Committee of the California State Assembly. He represents the 17th Assembly District, which encompasses eastern San Francisco.
