Gov. Gavin Newsom issues executive order to halt evictions statewide

Friday, March 27, 2020

Gov. Gavin Newsom issues executive order to halt evictions statewide

California Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an executive order on Friday banning the eviction of renters who are affected by COVID-19.

FRESNO, Calif. -- California Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an executive order on Friday banning the eviction of renters who are affected by COVID-19.

The order will last through May 31, 2020, according to a release from Newsom's office.

In addition to prohibiting landlords from evicting tenants for missing rent payment, it also requires tenants to declare in writing that they cannot pay their rent due to COVID-19 within seven days of rent being due.

Under Newsom's order, the tenant would be required to have documentation of their payment struggles and would still be obligated to repay full rent when possible. Renters could still face eviction after the enforcement is lifted.

During a briefing on Wednesday, Newsom said many banks have agreed to a 90-day grace period for mortgage payments for Californians impacted by the COVID-19 crisis.

The governor said more than 200 banks, including Wells Fargo, Citi Bank, JPMorgan Chase and US Bank, agreed to the moratorium for homeowners. An additional 200 state charter banks and credit unions made similar commitments, Newsom said.

"Families should not lose their homes because of COVID-19," Newsom wrote on Twitter.

Friday, the governor visited Los Angeles to meet Mayor Eric Garcetti as the U.S. Navy hospital ship Mercy arrived Friday morning at the Port of Los Angeles to ease the burden on local hospitals as the number of novel coronavirus cases continues to increase.

Earlier this week, the governor said his experts do not believe the state will be able to reopen in early April.

Newsom said that early April is sooner than any of his experts "believe is possible," adding that the next 6-8 weeks will determine what is realistic.

Friday marked two weeks since the governor called for a statewide "stay at home" order to combat the COVID-19 outbreak.

He announced the state would be restricting intake into the California prison system, focusing on isolating prisoners and not mixing prison populations. Newsom asked the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to temporarily halt the intake and transfer of inmates into the state's prisons, instead asking that they remain in county custody for the next 30 days (a period that can be extended if needed).

A day earlier, the governor announced the state was shutting down all state parking lots after videos of groups of people gathered at beaches and parks surfaced over the weekend.

"We need to practice common sense," Newsom said, adding that the move was part of some soft and hard closures on the horizon for the state. He recommended visiting the state park website for the latest details.

Newsom also said that there are currently 4,305 hotel rooms across the state that have been made available for the homeless in California.

He added that California will be "pulling its weight" when it comes to finding and purchasing the medical equipment needed.

Newsom also called for governors across the nation to be collaborative to ensure that purchasing plans are aligned.

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