In two weeks, California's eviction crisis could become a major catastrophe, as the courts move to rescind a key protection for tenants.

Here's a short thread on some of the stories I've heard of renters fighting to keep their homes... https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/jul/30/california-covid-19-evictions-landlords-tenants

In East Hollywood, Christopher Borunda was locked out of his apartment, the power was shut off and his landlords demolished his kitchen while he was still living there. He had to climb in through a window to re-enter.

“I’m just barely surviving and I’m out of options.”

Chris was late on rent after he lost freelancing gigs. Last month, he was told he had 7 days to vacate, which violates standard tenant regulations + Covid emergency protections. His next door neighbor happened to be a @LACCLAdefends attorney, who is now fighting to help him stay.

His landlord, My Management Co, claimed to me that it was a misunderstanding + they thought he had vacated (his stuff was still there). They said they'd move him to a new unit, but Chris told me he hasn't heard anything + he still has to leave his door unlocked so he can get in.

In South LA, Jessica Zabaleta + her son live in a converted garage. She says her landlord has been trying to evict her since the start of the pandemic. She filed a complaint with the city, which informed the landlord he couldn't evict her, but she said his threats have continued.

She said they also recently shut off her hot water. When I met her alongside @CalOrganize activists, several men showed up + physically blocked us from entering, even though she invited us in. Their connection to landlord was unclear, but she said harassment has been frequent

I eventually was able to go inside to her apartment, and saw the small back unit where she lives. The city has formally told the landlord this is an unauthorized dwelling, but she said she doesn't have any other options.

“There is nowhere for us to go."

In Castro Valley, Theresa Ribeiro's landlord, Jon Souza, has demanded she pay rent early every month on the 20th through in-person deposit at the bank. When the 61-year-old has struggled to get to the bank due to Covid hours + her work, he's left vulgar + threatening voicemails:

“Get my rent in the fucking checking account, I don’t care what the fucking issue is. I don’t give a fuck if you’ve got to leave work.” In other voicemails, the landlord told her she wasn’t behaving like a “mature woman” and that if she couldn't afford rent, “Buy your own house.”

In one voicemail, her landlord said: “I’m going to evict you, I don’t give a shit about this virus thing … These rules are not applying.”

Theresa told me: “Emotionally, I’m a mess. It’s frightening for me, and it’s a scary way to live.”

When I called her landlord, he acknowledged she did not owe rent + had only briefly missed his deadlines. He said they once had a good relationship + he was “disappointed" in her. After I read his voicemails, he defended them: “The way I talked to Theresa was as an angry friend.”

In Richmond, Denise Briggs' landlord delivered an eviction notice and told her he was selling his house and needed it empty. She has mobility issues and suffers from respiratory conditions and is struggling to find a new place that will be safe for her during the pandemic.

There are a range of new tactics landlords are using. @LegalAidLA has cases where owners file "restraining orders" against tenants, using a process typically reserved for stalking + harassment. Others are delivering formal eviction lawsuits even though the docs lack court summons

The @LATenantsUnion has organized rapid response and eviction blockades to defend tenants facing immediate threats of illegal lockouts and other particularly aggressive tactics (physically blocking tenants, calling police for "trespassing," shutting off utilities, etc).