San Francisco Mayor London Breed issued a city moratorium on housing evictions effective immediately Friday as a response to the novel coronavirus pandemic.
The moratorium will prevent any resident from being evicted due to a loss of income related to a business closure, loss of working hours or wages, layoffs, or out-of-pocket medical costs caused by the pandemic.
The mayor issued the executive order under the authority of the local emergency she declared on Feb. 25. The order will last for 30 days and may be extended depending on the health crisis conditions.
"Protecting public health means keeping people secure in their housing, which we know is a challenge right now as our economy and our workers are being severely impacted by this crisis," Breed said in a news release.
Under the order, a tenant must notify their landlord that they cannot pay rent due to a coronavirus-related impact. Within one week of the notice, the tenant must provide documentation or other objective information that they cannot pay rent. Tenants will have up to six months after the termination of the emergency declaration to repay any back due rent.
The mayor's announcement cited a variety of city officials and tenant advocates who have expressed support for the moratorium. Calls to the San Francisco Apartment Association for comment were not answered.
Recommendations from the San Francisco Department of Public Health can be found at www.sfdph.org/dph/alerts/coronavirus.asp along with up-to-date coronavirus news and information. Residents can also call 311 for information or can sign up for the city's alert service for official updates by texting COVID19SF to 888-777.
