FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE March 26, 2021
For More
Information, Contact:
Kelsey Martinez Combellick
(408) 299-5050 office
(408) 299-1277 cell
kelsey.m.combellick@bos.sccgov.org
EVICTION
PROTECTION FOR SMALL BUSINESSES CONTINUES
SAN
JOSE – At
the March 23 Board meeting, the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously
(5-0) to extend the temporary moratorium on commercial evictions of small
business tenants resulting from effects of the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19)
pandemic; the extended eviction moratorium is now in effect through the
expiration of the Governor’s executive order authorizing these moratoria, or August
18, 2021, whichever is earlier.
“As we’ve seen
month after month, our small business community continues to be deeply affected
by the pandemic. With the moratorium
extended (and previously approved protections in place to repay past-due rent),
both small businesses and landlords will have more time to take advantage of various
relief programs,” said County Supervisor Joe Simitian, who sponsored the
original Ordinance, and proposed several adjustments and extensions to previous
iterations of the Ordinance.
The County’s
Ordinance specifically prohibits evictions for failure to pay rent due to loss
of income resulting from the COVID-19 public health crisis. The countywide
application means that it applies throughout the entire county, except in cities
that have passed an ordinance more stringent than the one approved by the Board
of Supervisors.
"The
Supervisors’ action to extend the eviction moratorium is huge for our small
businesses who have been devastated by the pandemic. Rent is one of their
largest expenses, so this relief is essential for their very survival,"
said Peter Katz, President and CEO, Mountain View Chamber of Commerce &
Foundation.
“In the face
of an unprecedented pandemic, we needed unprecedented support for our small
business sector,” said Simitian.
The County’s
COVID-19 small business eviction moratorium was first approved by the Board of
Supervisors on March 24, 2020, on Simitian’s motion. It was extended or revised
numerous times since its initial adoption a year ago.
The full text
of the Ordinance extending the eviction moratorium can be found on the March
23, 2021 Board of Supervisors’ Agenda, Item #72. A link to that agenda can be found here:
http://sccgov.iqm2.com/Citizens/Detail_Meeting.aspx?ID=13209
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