SCRHA Update on Eviction Moratoriums

On March 25, the San Diego City Council passed an ordinance to place a moratorium on residential and commercial evictions.

SCRHA has been actively engaged with the Mayor’s office, Councilmembers, and their staffs since the ordinance was originally introduced on March 17. We thank the hundreds of members who responded to our many Action Alerts, submitted letters to the Mayor and Council, and submitted online comments.

We strongly advocated for balance and clear guidelines, as well as direct financial relief. Many of our initial concerns were addressed last week. However, we continued our advocacy and were successful in securing amendments, such as the one to that will require tenants to pay rent upon move-out if they opt to move during the moratorium.

The County of San Diego also passed an ordinance yesterday which is similar to the City’s ordinance. SCRHA also advocated balance to the County Supervisors, which was clearly heard based on the comments from several supervisors and the citation of our letter.

The City of Chula Vista passed an emergency ordinance but is providing opportunity for stakeholders to participate in crafting specific regulations. SCRHA is partnering with the Pacific Southwest Association of REALTORS® to advocate for provisions similar to other ordinances and that mitigate impacts on property owners.

The City of San Marcos also passed an ordinance last night which we are hoping we will have an opportunity to amend.

The City of Santee Council will be considering a moratorium this evening. We are encouraging them to postpone such action and to consider conformity with other local ordinances in the region so we can avoid a patchwork of regulation.

The list of jurisdictions exploring or implementing eviction moratoriums continues to grow and these are often emergency items that do not provide the traditional advance notice. We will continue to advocate elected officials in each jurisdiction to consider or reconsider policies as they relate to moratoriums, especially in light financial relief likely coming online.

We are working to compile the details of each ordinance and to post those on our COVID-19 Resources page as the language and links become available. We have also engaged our industry partner organizations, including, but not limited to: Building Industry Association of San Diego, Pacific Southwest Association of REALTORS®, North San Diego Association of REALTORS®, Greater San Diego Association of REALTORS®, Southern Riverside County Association of REALTORS®, Chula Vista Chamber of Commerce, San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce, San Diego East Chamber of Commerce, North San Diego Business Chamber; Temecula, Murrieta and Menifee Chambers of Commerce; Development Councils of North and South Counties, as well as BOMASD, CCIM, and IREMSD to assist us in monitoring these areas, and more.

BREAKING NEWS: Governor Newsom just announced that banks will provide forbearance on residential mortgages for those that have been impacted by COVID-19 for 90 days, with some exceptions. More details are forthcoming.

We are also asking the San Diego County Tax Collector to waive all late fee, fines and penalties during the COVID-19 emergency. Just as the State and Federal governments have delayed annual tax payments, this small step could provide a great deal of financial relief and peace of mind during this time. Thank you to all members who answered our Action Alert sent letters to Mr. McAllister.

As is the new norm, details on eviction moratoriums and other regulatory items are moving quickly. We are doing our best to stay on top of the issues and provide real time updates. Please refer back to our COVID-19 Resources page regularly. We welcome all suggestions as to how we can serve you during these unprecedented times.