Evictions Halted In Santa Cruz County Amid Coronavirus Emergency

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, CA — The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved Tuesday a ban on evictions of residential and commercial tenants in unincorporated Santa Cruz County through May 31. The moratorium was approved amid a shelter-in-place order to protect people amid concerns about the new coronavirus.

Tenants will still be obligated to respect the terms of their leases and pay back rent when the moratorium is lifted, the county said in a statement.

Having shelter is critical to slow the spread of coronavirus, the county said.

"We cannot force people out onto the streets during this crisis," said Supervisor Ryan Coonerty in the statement. "It's going to take all (of) us working collaboratively together to get through this."

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The moratorium will only apply to tenants who prove they can't pay rent as a result of the outbreak. Public housing authorities must also extend deadlines for people receiving housing assistance and applicants submitting documents to prove their eligibility, according to the legislation.

Emergencies due to coronavirus were declared at the state level and county level on March 4.

View materials from the board meeting here.

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