by Gary Rhoades, Deputy City Attorney in the Public Rights Division of the Santa Monica City Attorney’s Office

After our review of guidelines from the Center on Disease Control, public health orders limiting work to what is essential, and recently published best practices from the service industries and the apartment owners associations, here are some general guidelines and best practices:

• COVID-19 is highly contagious and the virus can last for days on several types of surfaces. Therefore, do not enter homes, especially the homes of those with COVID-19 risk factors, unless it is critical repair or emergency involving a condition that makes the apartment uninhabitable.

By Gary Rhoades

Deputy City Attorney in the Public Rights Division of the Santa Monica City Attorney’s Office.

On March 19, 2020, the Santa Monica City Council ratified the City’s emergency moratorium on certain types of notices, terminations of tenancy, and evictions. The City passed the temporary moratorium as a part of its emergency order in response to the pandemic emergency related to the spread of COVID-19, and as a part of the necessary measures taken in order to protect the public health and safety of its residents, workers, and visitors.

Under the statewide and countywide shelter-in-place orders and guidance, tenants should be staying at home rather than being subject to evictions or forced to look for another place to live. Also, along with the Governor of the State of California’s statewide shelter-in-place order, he has since expressly authorized cities to suspend evictions during the crisis.

Santa Monica’s emergency order is now in effect through April 30, 2020, and the City Council may extend it.

Read More: https://www.smdp.com/consumer-corner-santa-monicas-temporary-moratorium-of-tenancy-terminations-and-evictions/188296

The director of public health for Los Angeles County is advising every resident to prepare for the possibility of isolation or quarantine.

“We are asking every single resident in LA County to be prepared to isolate and or to quarantine. And that means have your plans in place because when you are quarantined or isolated you cannot go to the grocery store, you cannot go the pharmacy,” said Dr. Barbara Ferrer, Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (Public Health) Director at a daily briefing Wednesday announcing three new deaths and an additional 138 cases of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), bringing the total number of cases in the county to 799.

Read More: https://smmirror.com/2020/03/county-tells-all-residents-to-prepare-for-isolation-quarantine/

As the coronavirus pandemic continues to impact the most vulnerable, new grocery delivery options are rapidly becoming available.

One community-based delivery service was just created last week by Santa Monica resident, Lorena Camarena.

Read More: https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/santa-monica-volunteers-protect-seniors-with-new-grocery-delivery-service/ar-BB11DQfQ?ocid=hplocalnews

Santa Monica has announced that its police officers are authorized to issue citations to violators of stay at home orders in place to help slow the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

“Our first priority is to remind and educate the public when they are not following our local orders,” said said Santa Monica City Manager Rick Cole. “However, it’s important for people to know that our local orders include the ability to fine individuals and businesses that do not abide voluntarily.”

Read More: https://smmirror.com/2020/03/santa-monica-announces-fines-for-violating-stay-at-home-orders/

In recent weeks, the spread of the novel coronavirus has prompted public health officials to close businesses and force Californians to stay in their homes, leading to economic devastation for those who’ve lost jobs and hours at work.

A key date is just a week away: April 1. Many renters are worrying how they’re going to pay their landlords. And many landlords are worrying how they’re going to pay their mortgages.

Read More: https://www.latimes.com/homeless-housing/story/2020-03-25/coronavirus-california-eviction-moratorium-rent-tenant-protection-landlords-economy-jobs

California housing officials on Tuesday paved the way for the City to resume negotiations with developers of the proposed "The Plaza at Santa Monica" project, saying it is exempt from the State's recently expanded Surplus Land Act.

The City qualifies for an exemption because it orally entered into an exclusive negotiating agreement (ENA) with the developer before September 30, 2019, the cut-off date set by the amended law, according to Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD).

Read More: http://www.surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/news/News-2020/March-2020/03_24_2020_State_Housing_Officials_Find_Plaza_Project_Exempt.html

Tenants and landlords alike are facing a true emergency, and we need our state and local leaders to act like leaders — instead of politicizing the situation or caricaturing one camp, landlords, as evildoers.

April 1 is fast approaching, and with it a potential disaster. Many of New York City’s commercial and residential renters won’t be able to pay their rent — understandable, owing to circumstances that were far beyond their control. And while these tenants won’t be evicted, their non-payment of rent could set off a calamitous cascade that could collapse an industry relied upon by millions of people.

Read More: https://nypost.com/2020/03/23/helping-tenants-the-wrong-way-could-push-landlords-over-the-brink-and-harm-everyone/?utm_source=maropost&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=nyp_postopinion&utm_content=20200324&tpcc=post_opinion&mpweb=755-8716350-720415604

Those who violate orders to stay at home, shut down non-essential businesses, halt tenant evictions or keep away from the Santa Monica Pier during the coronavirus emergency face fines of as much as $1,000 per citation.

Read More: http://www.surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/news/News-2020/March-2020/03_23_2020_City_to_Fine_Those_Who_Violate_Emergency_Coronavirus_Orders.html

AND: https://smmirror.com/2020/03/santa-monica-announces-fines-for-violating-stay-at-home-orders/

“So that led me to start an organization called Santa  Monica Community Helpers (https://www. santamonicahelpers.org). And I want to say that I think that word ‘community’ is super important because that is a core idea to the mission statement, which is to bring a group of people around Santa Monica together to make a difference,” Camarena said. “I think we’re so much more powerful together and that’s really the basis of this organization.”

The goal of the helpers, according to Camarena, is to assemble a task force of volunteers across Santa Monica who will deliver groceries, medication, toiletries, and anything else that locals who are seniors or ill may need.

Read more on page 1 and 11: https://s3.amazonaws.com/smdp_backissues/032320.pdf