JUNE 2 – The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors voted to strengthen tenant protections for renters living in the county’s unincorporated areas. The updates expand “just cause” eviction protections to residents who are not currently covered under California’s Tenant Protection Act of 2019 (AB 1482), including many renters living in single-family homes, duplexes, and housing built within the last 15 years.

The Board also approved stronger relocation assistance requirements for no-fault evictions. Under the updated ordinance, tenants displaced through no fault of their own will be entitled to relocation assistance equal to three months of market rent or a waiver of their final three months of rent. Previously, relocation assistance was limited to tenants displaced due to hazardous or unsafe conditions.

Additional changes include new anti-retaliation provisions that explicitly prohibit landlords from using or threatening to use a tenant’s immigration status as a means of intimidation or retaliation. The ordinance also clarifies and strengthens protections related to family occupancy and the circumstances under which tenants may be evicted for alleged criminal activity.

SV@Home supported these updates because housing stability is a critical component of homelessness prevention. The County has been working on these revisions for several years and were presented on an agenda filled with many affordable housing and homelessness prevention policies. View our letter to the Board of Supervisors.

We thank the Board of Supervisors for taking action to strengthen protections for renters and help ensure that families can remain safely housed in our community. You can also read the SJ Spotlight article with a quote from our staff.