WEST HOLLYWOOD–The eviction moratorium in West Hollywood remains in effect until July 31, as the West Hollywood City Council approved the updated ordinance during the virtual meeting on Monday, June 15.
According to the amended eviction moratorium, evictions for nonpayment of rent due to financial impacts of COVID-19 are still prohibited, but evictions under specific circumstances are allowed. The ordinance will remain in place under July 31, but the City Council may extend the end date depending on future situations.
“Preventing displacement of residents is imperative to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and maintain stable housing to comply with the state’s stay-at-home order. Because of the affordable housing crisis, displacement could result in homelessness, which also exacerbates the current impacts of the pandemic,” said the City of West Hollywood in a statement. The City indicated that housing retention not only improves public health, but also eliminates the impacts on residents as they might be forced to move far from work, friends, family, and other support networks in order to secure affordable housing.
Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles (AAGLA) submitted a letter to express opposition to the City’s updated eviction moratorium. In the letter, AAGLA stressed that the City Council should not adopt broad-based, expansive limitations on “just cause” evictions where there is no correlation to COVID-19. The association said that the provision allowing the city to “order suspension of the eviction process” is unconstitutional and improper. “The proposal is overreaching the City’s authority and one we believe to be a violation of property owners’ fifth amendment constitutional rights,” said AAGLA.
AAGLA mentioned that they have suggested the West Hollywood City Council to comprehensively understand the situations of both rental housing providers and tenants as the pandemic has caused huge impacts on each of them.
“It is equally important to recognize that rental housing providers are in the business of providing people with housing and filling vacancies as efficiently as feasible, and not engaging in the eviction process,” said AAGLA.
