...Title
Federal Shutdown: Tenant Eviction Moratorium
...Recommendations
1. Adopt an urgency ordinance that establishes a 90-day moratorium for non-payment of rent for tenants with incomes affected by the federal government. Specifically, the ordinance would:
a. Invoke the urgency provisions in the City Charter, as an emergency measure for immediate preservation of the public peace, health or safety, to adopt an ordinance to temporarily prohibit eviction of a tenant for nonpayment of rent, if that tenant:
i. Is a holder of a federal housing voucher, such as Section 8 (including Veteran’s Administration Supportive Housing (VASH) vouchers), or the beneficiary of another federal rent subsidy, and the responsible federal agency has failed to make its standard, routine payment of such subsidies due to the federal shutdown; or
ii. Is an employee of a federal agency or a federal contractor who is not being paid as a direct result of the federal shutdown.
b. Provide that the moratorium will expire ninety days (90) days from adoption or thirty (30) days after the end of the federal shutdown, whichever is sooner.
2. Direct staff to evaluate temporary relief of fees and taxes paid by landlords affected by nonpaying tenants, such as deferral of collection of occupancy fees, business license taxes, and apartment rent ordinance fees (to the extent they haven’t already been paid). Return to Council in approximately three weeks should the shutdown continue, so that Council can consider a deferral of these fees until landlords have restored their receivables from nonpaying tenants.
(Mayor)