Name: How a one-time Bay Area tech worker amassed $43,804.72 in rental debt
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How a one-time Bay Area tech worker amassed $43,804.72 in rental debt

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OAKLAND, CA - FEBRUARY 11: CJ Paillant poses for a photograph in the Jack London Square apartment he is losing in Oakland, Calif., on Thursday, Feb. 11, 2021. Paillant lost his job as a product manager for a Silicon Valley software company during the pandemic and now faces a large rental debt. (Anda Chu/Bay Area News Group)Just a year ago, CJ Paillant lived in a brand new apartment complex in Oakland’s Jack London Square with&nbsp;a rooftop terrace, a game lounge and a pool with a hot tub that he and a friend rented for nearly $5,400 a month.But Paillant, a product manager for a Silicon Valley software company, lost his job early on in the pandemic. So did his roommate. Together, they now owe $43,804.72 in rent.“I got stuck in my luxury apartment,” said Paillant, who stayed to avoid a fee for breaking his lease but has since moved to West Oakland He hopes tbut Paillant knows he isn’t getting his former life back anytime soon. “Now I’ve got to raise this money. My life feels like a movie.”More than one in seven California renters were behind on their rent payments at the end of last month, according to Census Bureau surveys. And even with a statewide eviction moratorium and federal and state rental relief, some formerly well-paid renters like Paillant have accumulated a level of debt they’re not sure how they’ll ever get out of. Experts say California’s relief law — SB 91 — does little to overcome renters’ uncertainty, leaving them unsure exactly how much they will owe when protections, which are set to expire July 1, end.“The ball’s in the court of the landlord,” said Christopher Gil, associate director of marketing at the San Francisco-based Mission Economic Development Agency, which offers housing and financial services to low-income Latino workers.Under Gov. Gavin Newsom’s $2.6 billion rental relief proposal, the state would pay up to 80 percent of low-income tenants’ unpaid rent — but only if their landlords agree not to evict them and waive the remaining 20 percent. LandPaillant lost his job in March and started receiving $450 a week in pandemic unemployment assistance.Instead, Greystar, the managemeaid no rent for nearly five months. That added roughly $23,000 more to their cumulative debt.Greystar and Carmel Partners did not respond to requests for commenttheir rent owed since September by“It’s interesting now to see what I could have or should rain was running at 200 miles an hour. I was navigating the unknown.”When his lease ended this month, Paillant moved with his partner to West Oakland where they were able to negotiate paying just half of the nearly $9,000 security deposit. The landlord agreed to let them pay the other half over time. So far, uly, when statewide protections are set to end.“At that point you’re pretty much in too deep,” said Paillant, who added that he has consulted with a bankruptcy lawyer.Though he hopes to qualify for rental relief, he doubts his former landlord at Fourth Street East will waive 20 percent of his owed rent. If he’s right, Paillant and his former roommate will have to pay 75 percent of their debt, or $32,853.Paillant, who“But of course, they can always change their mind,” Paillant said. “That’s the scary part.”This article is part of the&nbsp;, a collaboration among newsrooms examining income inequality and economic survival in California.PrintThanks for reading!Get unlimited access to enjoy this article and moreAlready a subscriber? LoginView more on

OAKLAND, CA - FEBRUARY 11: CJ Paillant poses for a photograph in the Jack London Square apartment he is losing in Oakland, Calif., on Thursday, Feb. 11, 2021. Paillant lost his job as a product manager for a Silicon Valley software company during the pandemic and now faces a large rental debt. (Anda Chu/Bay Area News Group)Just a year ago, CJ Paillant lived in a brand new apartment complex in Oakland’s Jack London Square with&nbsp;a rooftop terrace, a game lounge and a pool with a hot tub that he and a friend rented for nearly $5,400 a month.But Paillant, a product manager for a Silicon...

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How a one-time Bay Area tech worker amassed $43,804.72 in rental debt

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