Fresno puts end to evictions and foreclosures, while it responds to coronavirus threat
Fresno residents will get a month moratorium from evictions and foreclosures with six months to catch up on deferred payments if their income has taken a hit due to the response to the coronavirus pandemic, the City Council declared on Thursday.
The council unanimously approved the emergency measure, which will also keep water services flowing to every resident, regardless of whether they are behind on fees.
The emergency measure came a day after the city asked residents to “shelter in place” and only leave their homes for absolutely necessary trips.
City Attorney Doug Sloan said the measure will also restore water service to where it has been shut off, until coronavirus is brought under control.
Residents are required to formally notify their landlord if coronavirus, also called COVID-19, has affected their income. The landlords would be required to allow at least six months for the residents to catch up on rent.
“It’s not a waiver of rent, it’s a deferral,” Sloan said.
The council approved the emergency measure without discussion during a meeting held in a mostly empty City Hall. Councilmembers Nelson Esparza and Paul Caprioglio attended over the phone.
Not far enough?
While the emergency measures have been more proactive than many municipalities, they don’t do enough to protect renters and especially vulnerable renters, according to Ashley Werner, senior attorney for Leadership Council for Justice and Accountability.
“We are concerned on how the eviction restrictions are framed,” she said.
The measure sets up a process for renters to notify their landlords a week before they expect to be short on rent, but gives no direction on how the city will notify renters about that option. The city should instead put a true moratorium on evictions of any kind, Werner said.
Leadership Counsel works with low-income communities that are made up largely of people of color. She said many of those people may be unaware of their options under the eviction measure.
“It is even more so central that we get housing stability and eviction protections right for them,” she said.
The nonprofit noted the emergency measure would spare anyone economically hurt by the virus from paying late fees on their utility bills, but that same protection is not afforded to renters who are late with monthly payments.
Shelter-in-place order
Wednesday’s shelter-in-place order went into effect after 11:59 p.m. Wednesday and remains in effect through the end of the month.
The order allows residents to leave their homes for essential services, like grocery shopping, doctor’s appointments, picking up medications or going to work, if their place of employment is considered essential.
When people leave their homes, the order instructs them to practice social distancing, keeping at least 6 feet away from others. The order urges the elderly and people with illnesses to stay home as much as possible.
Two days earlier, Mayor Lee Brand declared a state of emergency, requiring bars to close and restaurants to restrict their business to take-out orders only.
Retail chains began closing locations nationwide this week to help reduce the risk of coronavirus, leaving Fresno shopping destinations like Fashion Fair, Fig Garden and River Park empty.
The city’s order asked any non-essential businesses to shutter temporarily.
This story was originally published March 19, 2020 at 10:26 AM.
