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100 percent of past-due and prospective rent payments, as well as utility bills for income-qualified tenants. Assembly Bill 832 also allows tenants to access rental funds directly if their landlord chooses not to participate and ensures landlords can receive compensation even if their otherwise income- qualified tenants have already vacated a unit.
BEWARE: SANTA MONICA CITY ATTORNEY IS NOW PROSECUTING LANDLORDS FOR SECTION 8 DISCRIMINATION
The Santa Monica City Attorney’s Office (CAO) reports that it has been prosecuting housing discrimination by landlords against tenants and applicants who require rent subsidies such as Section 8 vouchers to afford rent for apartments within the City. According to a communication released by the City Attorney’s Office, the City has prosecuted at least two discrimination cases in which applicants with a Section 8 voucher were denied an apartment because a rule or policy prevented their tenancy.
In one case, a landlord’s policy required the tenant to show a monthly income that was double the amount of rent, even though the voucher covered most of the monthly rent. Following the involvement of both the City Attorney’s Office and the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles, the large property management company was persuaded to change its policy so that their focus of the policy for Section 8 voucher-holders would be on the tenant’s share of the rent, not the full rent. In a second case, an applicant apparently had a good credit score and employment history but his homelessness in recent years prevented him from showing the extensive verifiable rental history demanded by the landlord’s application. After much discussion with the property management company and their attorney about
how their policy impacts Section 8 voucher-holders, City Attorney’s Office and the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles persuaded this second company to abandon its employment requirement. The City Attorney’s Office reports that in both cases, the tenants are now living in their new homes.
BERKELEY RENT BOARD CONDEMNS ISRAEL OVER PALESTINIAN EVICTIONS
Has the Berkeley Rent Board overstepped its bounds, veered out of its lane? – it recently passed a resolution condemning the Israeli government’s eviction of Palestinians from land in Sheikh Jarrah. The resolution, shown in part below, calls for the condemnation of Israel as follows:
“WHEREAS the organizations and individuals perpetrating the evictions in Sheikh Jarrah are by their own admission undertaking these actions to convert the neighborhood from majority Palestinian to majority Jewish, in what amounts to a campaign of ethnic cleansing, meaning the political domination of a territory by one ethnic group over another through forced removal ... ”
The idea behind the resolution was allegedly initiated by a Jewish member of the Rent Board, and its passage, although of no impact, was seen as a very controversial move. Several Jewish and other groups have condemned the move and political statement made by the Rent Board. Our
tax dollars at work!
SMART SAVER TIP OF THE MONTH PRESENTED BY LIVABLE
Sweeping debris from sidewalks and driveways instead of blasting the hose can save 10 gallons of water a minute, according to the Water Education Foundation, a Sacramento-based nonprofit dedicated to outreach regarding water resource issues. Speaking of driveways, if you plan to wash the car in yours, just fill a bucket with soapy water and use a sponge or cloth. Do not run the hose except for a quick rinse at the end. You could save 8 to 18 gallons a minute, according to the foundation, which estimates the average at-home car wash wastes about 100 gallons. To find out how Livable can save you money, check out http://www.livable. com/apn/ or call (877) 789-6027.
APARTMENT MANAGEMENT MAGAZINE - AUGUST 2021 CS-3