Millions of Americans are losing their eviction protections this weekend. The federal moratorium on eviction ends Sunday, and the California moratorium ended Thursday. As people lose their homes, animal shelters are preparing for an influx of animals.
“San Diego Humane Society has been very concerned about the ending of the eviction moratorium, due to animals potentially coming in when people lose their home,” said Stacey Zeitlin, Vice President of Community Impact at The San Diego Humane Society.
In San Diego and across the U.S., animal advocates are preparing for what might happen when people are evicted from their homes.
According to data from the U.S. Census Bureau, 6% of renters nationwide, or 3.5 million people, say they are likely or very likely to face eviction because of pandemic hardships.
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That's more than half a million people in California alone.
The San Diego Humane Society has a list of resources on its website to help people hold onto their pets. Their pet pantry is available to those in financial need. The pantry has distributed more than 2.5 million pet meals since the start of the pandemic. The San Diego Humane Society is also trying to attract foster families to help ease some of the burden on shelters.
“San Diego Humane Society is about 15 hundred animals with about 25% of those pets in foster homes,” said Zeitlin.
Local
The California eviction moratorium has ended, but tenants with unpaid rent can still stay in their homes if they’ve applied for state or local help.
San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria is proposing a legal aid fund for renters facing eviction.
