Downey considering temporary stop to evictions

DOWNEY — The Downey City Council on Tuesday will consider a temporary city-wide moratorium on evictions during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

When Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency on March 4, the executive order included language suspending foreclosures and allowing cities to restrict residential and commercial evictions.

Millions of people across the country have lost their jobs or had their hours reduced at work. One estimate said 37 million jobs could be lost in the coming weeks and months. 

The City Council will consider the moratorium at the request of Mayor Blanca Pacheco.

If approved, residents could not be evicted for failure to pay rent due to a “substantial” decrease in household income or out-of-pocket medical expenses related to coronavirus.

The federal government has already suspended foreclosures on FHA-insured mortgages.