San Diego City Council

San Diego Passes β€˜No-Fault' Eviction Moratorium

The moratorium ordinance will go through a second confirmation vote, which is expected to pass, and then must be signed by San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria before it becomes law

Eviction notice in the post
Peter Dazeley/Getty Images

The San Diego City Council voted 5-1 in favor of a "no-fault" eviction moratorium that will put a stop to some evictions for at least several months.

A no-fault eviction can happen when a property owner evicts a tenant who's done nothing wrong because the owner wants to move themselves or a family member back into the home. It also applies to a property owner who wants to put the property on the market or vacate it so they can remodel.

More than 60 people called into Monday's city council meeting to talk to local leaders about the proposal, which would put a stop to some evictions through Sept. 30, or 60 days after the city's state of emergency ends, whichever comes first.

"Nobody wants to be on the street," said Genea Wall, a supporter of the moratorium. "Nobody wants the concrete as their bed and the sky as their roof. Nobody picks that life. That’s not something you wake up and say, 'Oh, when I grow up I want to be homeless."

The San Diego Legal Aid Society says they have received numerous requests for assistance from tenants being served no-fault evictions, but the Southern California Rental Housing Association says there is no "eviction tsunami."

The association says the no-fault eviction moratorium violates state law and doesn't take into consideration the rights of property owners.

NBC 7's Priya Sridhar spoke with Council President Sean Elo-Rivera about evictions and energy independence.

"We want to cover the rights of the people who invested, who bought houses," Frank Powell with the San Diego Association of Realtors told NBC 7. "This is their 401k. They don't have a company paying them. They gathered all their money and bought investment properties so they can live."

City Council President Sean Elo-Rivera said in this economy, a no-fault eviction moratorium would save people who might end up homeless.

Councilmembers Joe LaCava and Raul Campillo recused themselves from Monday's vote citing conflicts of interest and Councilmember Jen Campbell was absent.

The moratorium ordinance will go through a second confirmation vote, which is expected to pass, and then must be signed by San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria before it becomes law.

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