Coronavirus eviction protection moratoriums expected to be passed

Coronavirus eviction protection moratoriums expected to be passed

By Lynda Carson - Friday, March 13, 2020

As the news media fans the flame of the fear of the coronavirus spreading from a pandemic to panic in the streets, the coronavirus outbreak presents a health and financial disaster for all Californians.

Last night in Oakland, over a dozen activists and tenant rights attorneys stood in line to demand the city protect unhoused residents and low-income renters who may be dismissed from work and lose paychecks because of the widespread coronavirus financial chaotic fallout. The activists requested that the Oakland City Council stop eviction lawsuits by landlords in Alameda County courts, prohibit landlords from forcing out tenants who can not pay their rent because of a coronavirus-related loss of paychecks, and to end closures of homeless encampments throughout the city.

Additionally, the cities of Los Angeles, Hayward, Sacramento, San Diego, and San Jose, are expected to adopt temporary eviction bans to protect tenants unable to pay their rent because of the coronavirus fallout. Some of these protective ordinances are expected to be approved as early as mid-March, or earlier.

On a state level, Assemblyman Phil Ting and Sen. Scott Wiener, both Democrats from San Francisco, are attempting to convince state lawmakers (comrads) to immediately pass temporary statewide measures banning evictions and foreclosures of those negatively affected by the disastrous effects of the coronavirus.

Tenants Together is also lobbying the state of California to protect tenants from eviction due to the effects of the coronavirus.

Their demands:

• An immediate eviction moratorium for tenants in California for the duration of this global public health crisis.  Any eviction moratorium passed must extend to all tenants, regardless of their type of work, immigration status, or source of income. Any requirements must reflect the realities many tenants face, including lack of healthcare, and nontraditional employment status, such as gig economy workers and contractors.

• Halt all Unlawful Detainer actions across the State. Courts should stop all proceedings related to Unlawful Detainer eviction actions.

• Institute a stay of all eviction orders assigned to every Sheriff's Departments around the state. No State resources should go towards evictions while there is an active global health pandemic.


The effects of the coronavirus are effecting workers and musicians alike in the Bay Area.

In an email from Matthew Montfort of the local fusion group called Ancient Future, “With good reason, concerts and classes are being cancelled left and right, and musicians are being hit very hard. Musicians in Northern California were already suffering from very high housing costs, decreasing support for the arts, and absurdly low payments from the music streaming platforms. With all of this, we very much need your support to continue the music.

The sad truth is that people in a variety of professions and life stages are in financial trouble now or will be soon, no doubt including many of the people who read this newsletter. There are ways you can help if you are currently in a position to do so.”

In a different email from Mariah Parker, of the Indo Latin Jazz Ensemble;

“Dear Friends,
 
I'm sad to say my duet concert with Matthew Montfort in Petaluma on March 14th and the Indo Latin Jazz Ensemble concert at the Occidental Center for the Arts on March 28th have both been cancelled due to concerns over the coronavirus. 
 
Both venues are refunding any tickets purchased and we are working on rescheduling these events and will keep you posted! In the meantime my focus is on the recording project and I'll have some updates on that soon as well.
 
Stay healthy everyone and be kind... we're all in this together!”

In Oakland at the Paramount Theater, the East Bay Symphony/Oakland Symphony had to cancel the 8:00PM Brahms / Sphinx Virtuso concert for March 20, 2020, which affects many struggling musicians including my dear friend Michael Graham a cellist for the Oakland Symphony who also performs for various Broadway musicals that may be facing cancellations including the Golden Gate Theater, and other venues in San Francisco. Click here for more event cancellations in the Bay Area.

And earlier today, Pushing Limits on KPFA, hosted by Eddie Ytuarte and others, hosted a show about the coronavirus effects on the disability community.

At Lucky grocers in Oakland at 3rd Avenue, and E. 18th Street, yesterday the store was packed with long lines as though it was a major holiday shopping event. Hopefully the virus was not spreading throughout the store. The large crowd of people were in panic buying mode, and there was not a roll of toilet paper to be found on the store shelves. Fueling the flames of panic, one of the store clerks claimed loudly that it was the end of the world, and a different clerk stated that they can not keep up with the demands of the public at Lucky grocers. I felt Lucky to get the hell out of there, with the strange events unfolding in the store while I was there.

It appears that with the spreading fears of the coronavirus pandemic spreading from here to hell, we are all in a world of sh_t with no toilet paper in site.

What a world…

Lynda Carson may be reached at tenantsrule [at] yahoo.com

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