COVID-19 relief: tenancy: grant program.

Existing law, the COVID-19 Tenant Relief Act, until October 1, 2025, establishes procedural requirements and limitations on evictions for nonpayment of rent due to COVID-19 rental debt, as defined. Existing law, among other things, prohibits a tenant that delivers to a landlord or files with the court a declaration, under penalty of perjury, of COVID-19-related financial distress, as defined, from being deemed in default with regard to the COVID-19 rental debt, as prescribed. Existing law, the State Rental Assistance Program, establishes a program for providing rental assistance, using funding made available pursuant to federal law, administered by the Department of Housing and Community Development. This bill would, until January 1, 2025, create a grant program under the administration of the department and would require the department to, among other things, award a program grant, as defined, to a qualified applicant who submits a complete application, as defined, on a first-come, first-served basis, except that the bill would require the department to provide grants to all tier one applicants, as defined, before processing the applications of other applicants, as specified. The bill would define "qualified applicant" to mean a landlord who has applied for rental assistance funds pursuant to the State Rental Assistance Program and satisfies certain criteria, including that the landlord has received a negative final decision, as specified. The bill would also establish a fund, the moneys in which would be available upon appropriation by the Legislature for the purposes of awarding program grants to qualified applicants. This bill would require a complete application to include, among other things, a statement, signed under penalty of perjury, by the landlord verifying certain facts, including that the landlord acknowledges that a program grant constitutes, as specified, full satisfaction of the tenant's obligation to the landlord with respect to the COVID-19 rental debt, as defined. By expanding the scope of the crime of perjury, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.