Merced County residents ask supervisors for ‘true’ eviction moratorium amid coronavirus
Nearly every public comment at the Merced County Board of Supervisors meeting Tuesday urged the same message: adopt a “strong and enforceable” local eviction moratorium ordinance during the coronavirus pandemic.
The public could not physically attend on account of social distancing measures, but emailed statements sent to the board were read aloud.
The majority of comments said Gov. Gavin Newsom’s recent executive order halting evictions for those affected by coronavirus doesn’t adequately protect Merced County renters.
“The order merely delays eviction proceedings for qualifying tenants,” read a statement by Merced resident Maria-Elena Young.
Effective through May 31, tenants with proof of having been economically burdened by the global pandemic may be granted 60 additional days to pay rent under Newsom’s order.
“The statewide executive order is not an eviction moratorium, and does not go far enough to prevent people from getting evicted if they can’t pay their rent on time,” read an email by Sheng Michelle Xiong, a policy advocate for Leadership Counsel for Justice and Accountability.
“If their landlords want to take action, they technically still could.”
Leadership Counsel advocates for low income people in California’s rural communities. It is pushing for support and transparency from Valley governments during the COVID-19 pandemic, including requesting that Merced County Supervisors meetings be held more “democratically.”
A public comment phone line would increase accessibility for those without internet access or certain technology, and allow residents to speak their own comments, said Policy Advocate Jovana Morales-Tilgren.
Leadership Counsel also asked the Merced County Board of Supervisors to hold an emergency meeting before the next scheduled board meeting to consider a local eviction moratorium, or add the item to the next agenda.
Morales-Tilgren said supervisors must take the high number of renters in Merced County into account, many of whom are low income. A total rent freeze would be ideal, she said.
The Board of Supervisors did not address the emergency meeting request, but Supervisor Lee Lor asked that a draft moratorium be placed on the next meeting’s agenda. It is unclear whether the next meeting will include that item.
Local eviction moratoriums have been adopted recently in other Valley communities. Fresno City Council unanimously passed a one month eviction and foreclosure moratorium, allowing residents six months to catch up.
What about property owners renting to tenants?
Supervisor Daron McDaniel responded to the eviction moratorium requests by noting that without a coinciding mortgage moratorium from banks, property owners renting to tenants could risk losing homes to foreclosure.
“Let’s understand that this problem, although it affects us locally, it cannot be cured locally,” he said. “This is a federal issue with the banks.”
Some banks have voluntarily enacted mortgage moratoriums, but others have not, McDaniel said. McDaniel said he would support and facilitate an eviction moratorium once the other banks follow suit.
“We understand this is an issue, we understand there’s going to be folks in trouble, but let’s not be shortsighted in how we’re considering this,” he said. “Until we get the banks on board, I don’t think we should even consider this at this time,” he added.
A rent relief fund could keep money flowing to property owners while lifting the burden off tenants at risk of homelessness, said UC Merced Professor of Sociology Tanya Golash-Boza.
She is also a member of the new Central Valley Mutual Aid group, formed amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and the immigrants rights group ICE Out of Merced.
Rent relief at the county or city level would incur a lesser cost to local government than financially supporting an increased number of homeless individuals in the long term, Golash-Boza said.
“There’s lots of ways to come up with an emergency rent fund,” she. “It would not be a huge burden to the budget,” she added.
McDaniel said although such a fund could be possible, it would be better suited for when money is flowing into the county, not during a time when funds are more scarce.
“It’s fairly easy to set up, but where are you going to come up with the money?” he said.
