Worcester Eviction Moratorium Waylaid Again By City Council

WORCESTER, MA — A proposed Worcester eviction moratorium has been pushed aside for another week following a vote in City Council on Tuesday.

District 5 Councilor Etel Haxhiaj brought the idea to City Council last week at the request of the Worcester Anti-Foreclosure Team. The moratorium was meant as a safety measure for renters during a new coronavirus surge, she said.

At the Jan. 18 meeting, At-Large Councilor Morris Bergman asked to hold the item under "personal privilege," a parliamentary maneuver available to Councilors.

On Tuesday, Haxhiaj made a motion to have the eviction moratorium sent to the Council's Economic Development Subcommittee for a discussion. The Jan. 18 conversation had devolved into a landlords vs. tenants battle, unhelpful for both sides, she said.

"None of these things are helpful or true, they only serve to divide and harm our residents," she said.

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In response, District 3 Councilor George Russell, a local Realtor, asked to hold Haxhiaj's new order for another week. Under state law, it should be advertised for the public to see before the Council votes, Russell said.

District 1 Councilor Sean Rose, who chairs the Economic Development Subcommittee, said he wants to take on the issue sooner than later.

"I'm committed to, once it does get to economic development, getting a meeting relatively quickly to be able to do whatever it is we can to support these folks who are suffering," he said.

City Solicitor Michael Traynor told Councilors he does not believe Worcester has any legal authority to enact an eviction moratorium. But Haxhiaj said it's the Council's job to at least give the issue a fair discussion in public.

The Council ultimately voted to postpone a vote to send the moratorium to the Economic Development Committee until the Feb. 1 meeting.