Attorney General Bonta Announces $500,000 in Grant Awards to Nonprofits to Protect Tenants, Fight Homelessness

The grant funding was obtained from the Attorney General’s 2021 judgment against real estate investment company Wedgewood for the alleged unlawful eviction of tenants from foreclosed properties 

OAKLAND – California Attorney General Rob Bonta today announced the award of grant funding to three nonprofits to fund efforts to combat homelessness. The funding was obtained as a result of a December 2021 judgment resolving the Attorney General’s lawsuit that alleged Wedgewood, a privately-held real estate investment company, unlawfully evicted tenants from foreclosed properties. As part of the judgment, Wedgewood paid $500,000 that will be distributed in directed grants of $225,000 to California Rural Legal Assistance (CRLA), $225,000 to Bay Area Legal Aid (BayLegal) and $50,000 to Moms 4 Housing (M4H). The announcement is part of ongoing efforts by the Attorney General to assist California tenants and fight California’s housing crisis.    

“California is in the midst of a housing crisis, and even one Californian fearing eviction and homelessness is too many,” said Attorney General Bonta. “The award of these funds will assist these nonprofit organizations in their ongoing efforts to assist California tenants and those battling homelessness in our communities. It will take all of us working together to alleviate our housing crisis and I am pleased these nonprofit organizations will continue to be part of the solution. At the California Department of Justice, we will continue to hold accountable bad actors, and use every tool at our disposal to protect tenants and ensure that everyone has a safe place to call home.”   

“Access to civil legal services is crucial for low-income residents fighting marginalization and housing pressures worsened by the pandemic,” said California Rural Legal Assistance Executive Director Jessica M. Jewell. “This grant will support our core housing services as well as the evolution of our community-led approach, including expanded remote services for tenants and specialized mobile home park advocacy that help people get or stay housed.”

“We are grateful for the California Department of Justice's shared commitment to addressing our housing and homelessness crisis,” said Bay Area Legal Aid Executive Director Genevieve Richardson. “In response to complex barriers and inequities contributing to homelessness, BayLegal has built and continues to enhance a coordinated, multi-systems response to homelessness on local and regional levels across the seven Bay Area counties in which we practice. BayLegal will use these funds to further our work to address legal barriers to basic safety net benefits, healthcare, and housing to decrease homelessness and increase self-sufficiency and stability for low-income Bay Area residents.” 

California Rural Legal Assistance (CRLA) provides free civil legal services to low-income residents of California’s rural counties. Housing has been a priority for CRLA since their establishment. They provide both direct legal services and systemic advocacy to promote safe, affordable housing for low-income Californians and protect fair housing and other civil rights. As described, the allocation of $225,000 from the settlement will go towards their housing work. 

Bay Area Legal Aid (BayLegal) is one of the principal and largest providers of free civil legal services to low-income residents of the Bay Area where they focus on homelessness intervention and prevention as a core priority. BayLegal focuses on addressing intersecting civil legal barriers and issues that individuals and families with low incomes face and that put them at risk of becoming homeless as well as preventing them from being able to escape from it. The proposed allocation of $225,000 will help support and strengthen BayLegal’s homelessness prevention work for their clients and communities in the San Francisco Bay Area region.

Moms 4 Housing (M4H) is a nonprofit based in Oakland that works to end homelessness for women and children by expanding access to affordable housing through personal development, political education, civic engagement, and direct action. The organization grew out of an action launched in 2019 to reclaim a vacant home on Magnolia Street in Oakland that Wedgewood purchased through foreclosure. M4H converted the property into a two-family transitional housing project with wraparound services for homeless moms and their children. The funds of $50,000 will assist in helping M4H in their ongoing battle to end homelessness.

Each organization has specified the purpose of which the grant funding will be used, which will allow for a two-year grant term, reporting requirements, and an agreement that the funds will not be used for political or lobbying purposes.  

Attorney General Bonta is committed to advancing housing access, affordability, and equity in California. The Housing Justice Team encourages Californians to send complaints or tips related to housing to housing@doj.ca.gov. Attorney General Bonta also launched a Housing Portal on DOJ’s website with resources and information for California homeowners and tenants. 

Information on legal aid in your area is available at https://lawhelpca.org.