Groups calls for extended protection against evictions
CALEXICO – A local advocacy group is challenging the City Council here to pass a moratorium to protect renters and small businesses against eviction.
Imperial Valley Equity & Justice Coalition has submitted a proposed ordinance to the city that it said would bring Calexico in line with the protections offered by a growing number of local governments across the country.
The group said the ordinance is modeled after moratoriums passed by Imperial County and the Los Angeles City Council.
“When it comes to COVID-19, Calexico has been the hardest hit city, within the hardest hit county in the State of California,” IV-EJC said in a release. “Calexico accounts for 30 percent of the county’s recorded infections and 39 percent of deaths, with only 21 percent of the county population. With high rates of unemployment and low wage work, the city is particularly vulnerable to the economic impacts of COVID-19. Yet while over 150 local governments in the State of California have passed eviction moratoriums to protect renters and small businesses against displacement, no city council in Imperial County has voted on these protections.”
IV-EJC’s proposed ordinance would give qualified tenants up to 12 months following the expiration of the local emergency period to repay any past due rent. No interest could be charged on the delinquent rent, and the repayment period could potentially be extended for an additional six months.
On March 30, the Imperial County Board of Supervisors Board passed an eviction moratorium covering unincorporated areas, following an executive order by Gov. Gavin Newson, which recently was extended until Sept. 30.
IV-EJC noted these county protections, however, cover unincorporated areas with only 20 percent of the county population.
IV-EJC said eviction moratoriums aim not only to halt the rise of homelessness and small business closure, but to incentivize cooperation between landlords and tenants to negotiate rent modifications and repayment allowances for residential and commercial landlords.
“We’re waiting to see who’s going to be the one on the City Council to take up the mantle in order to provide the citizens of Calexico some piece of mind during these turbulent times of uncertainty as income for rental payments begins to dry up,” said IV-EJC member Daniela Flores.
IV-EJC said Calexico renters and small businesses are at high risk of eviction from lost income during the COVID-19 pandemic. The group cited Bureau of Labor Statistics data that as of July 2, 1,023 “low-income jobs” had been lost in Calexico, “a city vulnerable to employment shocks since it takes 78.56 hours of work per week, at the average wage, to afford a two-bedroom home in Imperial County.”
IV-EJC noted the federal estimate is an undercount of financial hardship that only reports eliminated jobs for low-income workers, omitting loss wages from informal work and non-reported incomes, self-employment, and losses from reduced hours or part-time closures.
Nationally, 32 percent of renters missed their July rent, and 30 percent used a credit card to pay rent, the group said.
“Taking care of people’s homes and business rents is a necessary first step” IVEJC member Raul Urena said. “Other local governments have also passed moratoriums on water shut-offs and rent freezes, so that rents cannot be raised during the pandemic and essentials like water cannot be denied. If fighting COVID requires freezing wages for working families, our response must also include freezing their payments -- both sides of the economy need to be put on hold for this to work.”
Officials from the city of Calexico did not respond to a request for comment as of press time.