Eviction protection for small businesses continues
SAN JOSE – At the March 23 Board meeting, the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously (5-0) to extend the temporary moratorium on commercial evictions of small business tenants resulting from effects of the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic; the extended eviction moratorium is now in effect through the expiration of the Governor’s executive order authorizing these moratoria, or August 18, 2021, whichever is earlier.
“As we’ve seen month after month, our small business community continues to be deeply affected by the pandemic. With the moratorium extended (and previously approved protections in place to repay past-due rent), both small businesses and landlords will have more time to take advantage of various relief programs,” said County Supervisor Joe Simitian, who sponsored the original Ordinance, and proposed several adjustments and extensions to previous iterations of the Ordinance.
The County’s Ordinance specifically prohibits evictions for failure to pay rent due to loss of income resulting from the COVID-19 public health crisis. The countywide application means that it applies throughout the entire county, except in cities that have passed an ordinance more stringent than the one approved by the Board of Supervisors.
"The Supervisors’ action to extend the eviction moratorium is huge for our small businesses who have been devastated by the pandemic. Rent is one of their largest expenses, so this relief is essential for their very survival," said Peter Katz, President and CEO, Mountain View Chamber of Commerce & Foundation.
“In the face of an unprecedented pandemic, we needed unprecedented support for our small business sector,” said Simitian.
The County’s COVID-19 small business eviction moratorium was first approved by the Board of Supervisors on March 24, 2020, on Simitian’s motion. It was extended or revised numerous times since its initial adoption a year ago.
The full text of the Ordinance extending the eviction moratorium can be found on the March 23, 2021 Board of Supervisors’ Agenda, Item #72.