Sacramento, CA — In an effort to prevent displacement and ensure housing stability for disaster victims, State Senator Dr. Aisha Wahab (D-Silicon Valley) has introduced the Post-Disaster Tenant Protections Act, Senate Bill (SB) 522. The bill aims to preserve tenant protections for rental housing and mobile homes that were covered under existing laws before being destroyed in a disaster.
“Tenants who are victims of disasters are at increased risk for displacement and homelessness, and this bill ensures we prioritize them and create housing stability,” said Senator Wahab.
SB 522 would require that rebuilt rental units maintain the same protections they had before a disaster and mandate that local governments approve housing projects that replace, or increase, the number of residential units lost. The bill is co-authored by Senator Ben Allen (D-Santa Monica), whose district has been significantly affected by wildfires, including the Palisades Fire.
Los Angeles City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto, who is sponsoring the bill, emphasized its importance for wildfire-affected communities. “California’s wildfire victims shouldn’t lose the benefit of protections already in place because their homes were destroyed, nor should the total number of residential units in a community be artificially reduced by the recent wildfires,” she said. “I applaud Senator Wahab for her cutting-edge work to protect and assist communities destroyed by wildfires.”
The bill must pass Senate policy committees and clear the Senate Floor by June 6, 2025, before advancing to the Assembly for further consideration.
