What eviction moratorium ending means for Fresno residents

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- The eviction moratorium in Fresno has been lifted, but tenants who have unpaid rent due to COVID-19 issues won't be immediately evicted.

To avoid a flood of evictions, Fresno City Council member Luis Chavez says renters will still have several months to pay it all back.

"They will have until February of 2023 to either pay back all of that back rent or obviously, go through the eviction process," he said.

The City of Fresno received $54 million in federal and state money to fund the Eviction Protection Program.

$15 million are still available for local renters in need.

The Fresno Center is one of six non-profit groups assisting families with applications. It has a backlog of almost 100 applicants.

"With that partnership, it allows the landlord to show more humility to tenants and that's something we've seen, but that's because we have the "no eviction" notice," says Fresno Center CEO Pao Yang. "But with this lifting, a lot of the applicants are concerned."

Since March of 2020, people who qualified for the program had to provide their landlord with documents showing how COVID preventing from paying rent.

The city believes it is time to move forward.

"The main thing folks could take away from this lifting the moratorium and this emergency order, so to speak, is the fact we're trying to get back to normal," Chavez said.

Chavez, though, is keeping a wary eye on the steady COVID rates in the Valley.

Both tenants and landlords can receive assistance through the Emergency Rental Assistance Program.

For more information, you can contact (559) 621-8400 or click here.