The City of Santa Ana has created webpages in English, Spanish and Vietnamese to help residential and commercial tenants understand the City and State moratoriums on evictions and foreclosures during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The webpages include frequently asked questions, a sample letter that renters can use to advise their landlord of their inability to pay rent due to COVID-19, legal resources and more. The websites are:
English: www.santa-ana.org/moratorium-evictions-and-foreclosures-english
Spanish: www.santa-ana.org/moratorium-evictions-and-foreclosures-spanish
Vietnamese: www.santa-ana.org/moratorium-evictions-and-foreclosures-vietnamese
On March 17, 2020, following the declarations of emergency by the federal and state governments due to the global Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the City of Santa Ana proclaimed a local emergency to help further preserve the health and safety of its residents during the pandemic. The City’s declaration authorized the City Manager to establish a moratorium on residential and commercial evictions or foreclosures of tenants unable to pay rent or mortgages due to financial impacts caused by the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). On March 19, 2020, the City Manager issued an Executive Order that officially imposes the moratorium. On March 27, 2020, California Governor Newsom issued Executive Order N-37-20 relating to residential evictions.
The Executive Orders by the City Manager and Governor Newsom:
• Halt foreclosures and evictions due to non-payment of rent by residential and commercial tenants impacted by the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) from March 19, 2020, through May 31, 2020, but it may be extended.
• A landlord cannot charge or collect a late fee for rent in these circumstances.
• Tenants must take steps to notify the landlord before the day rent is due in order to gain the protections of the Executive Order.
• The eviction moratorium does not relieve affected tenants of their responsibility to pay rent or for any unpaid rent during the moratorium. Once the moratorium is over, a landlord may collect any unpaid rent, but may not charge late fees. Tenants will have up to 6 months following the expiration of the local emergency to repay any back rent due.
For news, resources and video updates from Mayor Miguel A. Pulido about COVID-19, please visit www.santa-ana.org/covid19.
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