A countywide urgency ordinance has been passed by the Board of Supervisors. The result: evictions will now be temporarily prohibited in Santa Clara County due to the unfolding COVID-19 pandemic.
Said Supervisor Dave Cortese, “To prevent this public health emergency from escalating, we must keep residents safe in their home.”
With this ordinance in place, no residential tenant throughout Santa Clara County can be evicted for failure to pay rent or through a no-fault eviction if that tenant has suffered a loss of income or had to cover medical expenses due to the novel coronavirus. In addition, even after the pandemic ends, the ordinance shall allow tenants a 120-day grace period to get their rent payments in. This ordinance will last until May 31.
“This is a common-sense, compassionate step that is fair to both renters and property owners,” said Supervisor Joe Simitian. “The Ordinance does not eliminate the need to pay rent, but it does provide an important grace period for those in our community who have been directly impacted financially by the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. And it ensures that we don’t further complicate the situation by increasing our homeless population unnecessarily.”
