While a statewide eviction moratorium is still in place, the example of Upland in Southern California suggests that local eviction moratoriums might not withstand legal controversies.
"In a complete reversal, the Upland City Council this week repealed its ordinance that protected commercial and residential tenants from evictions during the novel coronavirus pandemic," reports Steve Scauzillo.
"Out of 127 California cities and counties that have passed such measures, Upland and one other, the city of Duarte in eastern Los Angeles County, have rescinded eviction moratoriums, according to data compiled by the California Apartment Owners Association."
Upland city officials made the decision to rescind after lawyers for local landlords sent a letter threatening to sue the city over the eviction moratorium approved on March 31.
"A letter from attorney Douglas J. Dennington says his clients, which include owners of several large apartment complexes in the city, will incur millions of dollars in losses from non-payment of rents and that they will sue the city to recover lost revenues and legal fees," reports Scauzillo.
Upland tenants are not entirely without protections, however. The state of California still has an eviction moratorium in place, with backing from the state's Judicial Council. The article describes the potential for local governments to encounter a "legal morass" when duplicating or expand the statewide moratorium. Even the League of California Cities is choosing not to advise cities on what tenant protection policies to enact during the pandemic.
FULL STORY: Upland repeals ban on evictions after landlords threaten to sue the city
Evictions on the Rise in California
As rent costs continue to grow and eviction protection programs lapse, eviction rates are spiking across the state.
Quantifying the Impact of Pandemic Housing Assistance
The massive federal injection of funding into housing programs has had major impacts on many Americans’ ability to stay housed and out of debt, but fears loom as the end of some funding sources nears.
Atlanta Approves New Affordable Housing and Eviction Protection Funds
Several city resolutions will fund projects that help residents find housing and eviction prevention services.
Depopulation Patterns Get Weird
A recent ranking of “declining” cities heavily features some of the most expensive cities in the country — including New York City and a half-dozen in the San Francisco Bay Area.
California Exodus: Population Drops Below 39 Million
Never mind the 40 million that demographers predicted the Golden State would reach by 2018. The state's population dipped below 39 million to 38.965 million last July, according to Census data released in March, the lowest since 2015.
Chicago to Turn High-Rise Offices into Housing
Four commercial buildings in the Chicago Loop have been approved for redevelopment into housing in a bid to revitalize the city’s downtown post-pandemic.
Google Maps Introduces New Transit, EV Features
It will now be easier to find electric car charging stations and transit options.
Ohio Lawmakers Propose Incentivizing Housing Production
A proposed bill would take a carrot approach to stimulating housing production through a grant program that would reward cities that implement pro-housing policies.
Chicago Awarded $2M Reconnecting Communities Grant
Community advocates say the city’s plan may not do enough to reverse the negative impacts of a major expressway.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
Town of Zionsville
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
