There were at least 527 evictions in the Bay Area from the start of the statewide coronavirus lockdown on March 19 through the end of December. At least 145 of those evictions — the most of any county in the region — took place in Santa Clara County. Tenants’ attorneys say that figure is an undercount, since most tenants leave or get locked out before law enforcement ever gets involved. There are 25-30 eviction proceedings every week in Santa Clara County, which may or may not result in immediate eviction.

On January 27, over 100 tenants and advocates, organized by the Regional Tenant Organizing Network, blocked eviction hearings at the Santa Clara County Superior Court in San Jose, protesting the displacement of renters during the coronavirus pandemic. Protesters blocking the courthouse entrance effectively shut down the court in the morning hours before being violently removed by County Sheriff’s Deputies. Nine protesters were arrested on the charge of disrupting court operations.

Read More