SAN DIEGO (CNS) - The San Diego City Council voted 5-4 today to extend the city's moratorium on commercial and residential evictions until the end of September amid high unemployment rates during the coronavirus pandemic.
The moratorium that was slated to expire Wednesday will be extended to Sept. 30 as a result of the council's vote. Council members Georgette Gomez, Monica Montgomery, Jennifer Campbell, Chris Ward and Vivian Moreno voted in favor, while Barbara Bry, Mark Kersey, Scott Sherman and Chris Cate voted no.
The moratorium prohibits landlords from evicting renters and small businesses that are unable to cover their rent or lease payments due to financial hardship brought about by the COVID-19 outbreak.
Under the moratorium, renters and small businesses cannot be evicted if they notify their landlord in writing, on or before the day the rent is due, that they are unable to pay. They have one week after notification to provide proof that their financial hardship is related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Landlords and tenants are encouraged to work out a payment plan on their own. The eviction ban first went into effect March 25, with Tuesday's vote marking its second extension.
The vote came following about two hours of public comment, in which numerous residents called in to ask for the council to extend the moratorium, with some asking for an extension until as far as the end of the year.
The council was also slated to take action Tuesday to establish a rental assistance program, funded by more than $15 million in federal COVID-19 relief funds.
