After receiving petitions for a moratorium on evictions, California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed an order banning enforcement of eviction actions on tenants. The order also prohibits law enforcers and courts to carry outstanding orders of eviction prior to the governor’s announcement of the moratorium.
Governor Newsom had earlier ordered California residents to shelter-in-place as a way to prevent Covid-19 from spreading continuously and infecting people exponentially. As a result, many tenants lost jobs or business income that could have otherwise enabled them to pay rent as they fall due during the ongoing health crisis. In order to seek protection via the eviction moratorium, tenants must submit a written declaration to their respective landlord regarding their circumstances.
Eviction moratoriums are applicable as relief, only to those living in rented homes and other types of housing facilities. Inasmuch as many of California’s homeless people use their private vehicles, they too are in danger of losing their so-called shelter during the ongoing health crisis, if law enforcers will find cause to impound their makeshift homes.
Petitions for Towing Moratorium as Relief to California’s Poor Sector
A coalition of groups representing California’s poor sector is also appealing to Governor Newsom, to temporarily suspend enforcement of towing orders on vehicles owned by many homeless.
The coalition, based their petition on a related study conducted a year ago by legal professionals who render free legal aid. The study, entitled “Towed into Debt: How Towing in California Punishes Poor People” delves on the fact that many of California’s homeless people were those driven out of their homes due to their inability to pay rent or mortgage loans amortizations.
In order to make ends meet, many of them use their car when reporting for work, and at the same time use the same vehicle as their makeshift shelter for the night. In light of the threats posed by Covid-19, the coalition is seeking temporary relief from towing enforcements on behalf of those people; knowing that the loss of a critical economic asset would make a great many of California’s poor population vulnerable while in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.
The group cited that in San Francisco, one of four California cities with the highest number of homeless people, the local government had already exercised its right to govern and limit authorizations to tow vehicles. In San Jose, another CA city ranked as having the most number of homeless people, every operator of a towing company san jose law enforcement agencies call on, is anticipating the approval of the tow moratorium petition.
That way, a tow truck driver can be guided accordingly on the specific reasons to which towing orders are suspended; and where the towed vehicle will be moved in case the owner is a homeless person.