It’s the first of the month for California’s 17 million renters. Because of the coronavirus pandemic, Gov. Gavin Newsom and local elected officials have been rolling out tenant protections, but it can get confusing. Luckily, there are hundreds of organizations all over the state that can help renters figure things out.
This is not a full breakdown of resources for all parts of California, so forgive us if we don’t include information for where you live. But as you’ll see below, renters can find help by contacting a local tenants union or an anti-eviction attorney or a social or housing justice organization. If they can’t help directly, they can steer you in the right direction.
In San Diego, We All We Got SD is a mutual aid network that provides an extensive list of helpful links for numerous issues — from housing to education. San Diego Tenants United and the San Diego Tenants Union also do excellent work.
For the Los Angeles area, renters can reach out to numerous organizations, including the Eviction Defense Network, the Los Angeles Tenants Union, and many others. In fact, Healthy L.A. Coalition, a group of more than 250 organizations, is battling for stronger tenant protections in the city of Los Angeles and the county. You can join that fight.
In Sacramento, the Sacramento Tenants Union provides vital information at its website, including links to a renters helpline and legal services. You can also follow the Sacramento Tenants Union on Facebook for regular news about renter issues.
The Bay Area is rich in renter resources. The San Francisco Tenants Union, the Oakland Tenants Union, and the Eviction Defense Collaborative are just some of the organizations that can help. Here’s an excellent list to check out.
We also recommend the “resources” page at the Tenants Together website. Click on “coronavirus.”
In Fresno, the Leadership Counsel for Justice & Accountability can steer tenants in the right direction. The Leadership Counsel works with residents in the San Joaquin and Eastern Coachella valleys.
The same goes for the Fair Housing Council of OC, which helps residents in Orange County, and the Fair Housing Council of Riverside County.
You get the general idea. California renters are not alone, and there is help for you. Together, we will get through this difficult time.