(SACRAMENTO, CA) – Today, Assemblymember John Harabedian (D-Pasadena) introduced a package of bills to provide essential financial relief to victims of the Los Angeles County wildfires and expedite impacted-communities’ rebuilding efforts.
“My neighbors are still paying mortgages on houses that have been burned to the ground, all while trying to rebuild their lives and find a place to stay. These proposals will deliver essential financial relief to those affected by the wildfires and establish a framework to swiftly rebuild our communities,” said Assemblymember Harabedian. “The Mortgage Deferment Act will offer Californians vital financial relief from shouldering payments for both temporary housing and mortgages at the same time. The Disaster Housing Task Force ensures housing reconstruction and recovery is both swift, effective, and community-centered between all impacted agencies. In combination, these bills will give our neighbors essential financial reprieve and help us rebuild and recover from this disaster.”
In short, the bills do the following:
· AB 238, Mortgage Deferment Act: Under the Mortgage Deferment Act, borrowers are entitled to request an initial forbearance of their monthly mortgage payments for up to 180 days, and may request up to an additional 180 days. This bill is inspired by the CARES Act, which provided mortgage payment forbearance to those experiencing financial hardship during the COVID-19 national emergency.
· AB 239, State-Led Disaster Housing Task Force: establishes the State-Led Disaster Housing Task Force (SLDHTF) to operate throughout the long-term recovery period following the recent wildfires. Its primary purpose is to assist with coordination between the federal government, state agencies and departments, and local municipalities. The bill is modeled after FEMA guidance that each state establish a SLDHTF.
Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin (D-Thousands Oaks) is a Joint Author on both measures. Principal Co-Authors include Assemblymembers Isaac Bryan (D-Culver City), Jessica Caloza (D-Los Angeles), Mike Fong (D-Monterey Park), Mark Gonzalez (D-Los Angeles), Celeste Rodriguez (D-Arleta), Pilar Schiavo (D-Santa Clarita Valley), Nick Shultz (D-Burbank) and Rick Zbur (D-Los Angeles).
The bills will be heard in Assembly policy committees during the spring.
