Written by Nicholas Vetrisek
Last week, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved an extension of the eviction moratorium that expired May 31. As of now, the moratorium will extend until the end of June.
This decision is evidence that San Diego is joining numerous other counties in California currently taking advantage of the executive order passed by Gov. Gavin Newsom, which allows counties and cities to extend eviction moratoriums until July 28.
To avoid being evicted, tenants must be able to show documentation proving that their economic hardship is directly related to the pandemic. In addition, tenants will have to pay back the rent they owe at a later date.
However, it’s becoming clear that these moratoriums can’t go on forever. “I think ignoring one population in favor of another is not necessarily the best thing to do at this point,” said Supervisor Kristin Gaspar.
While this will no doubt help the more than 500,000 San Diegans currently out of work, it may have a much more lasting and damaging effect on the entire county’s real estate market. Landlords have been unable to collect rents for months, and this will cause many to lose their properties as a result of being unable to afford upkeep. In short, the immediate fire has been put out, but a future one may be impending.
