Unsurprisingly, this reading of #SB91 is partially wrong. If LLs refuse to participate, tenants are eligible for 25% of rent arrears from 4/2020-3/2021, & the fund will pay "prospective rent" @ 25% for 3 months (likely April-June 2021 to capture the extended eviction protections)
https://twitter.com/dillonliam/status/1353793618880827392
And to clarify - tenants can receive 25% of "prospective rent" if either their landlord applies or if the tenant is forced to apply directly because their LL refuses to do so.
All of this demonstrates a few things: 1) the state has ONCE AGAIN waited until to last minute to put out confusing, poorly written policy that even knowledgeable folks are struggling to digest for no real reason - why extend the protections & create the RA program all at once?
And 2) this replicates & entrenches the severe power imbalance between tenants and LLs - LLs can recoup 80 cents on the $ (way better than what's likely in collection action), or LLs can get 25% & harass their tenant through small claims or civil court actions for the rest
None of this empowers or protects tenants from a debt they incurred through no fault of their own, and it fails to achieve the fundamental goal of creating housing stability in a state that has a horrendous housing problem from pre-pandemic. We'll be paying for this for years
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