September 20, 2022
City Council
DATE: September 20, 2022
TO: Mayor Butt and Members of the City Council
FROM:
Councilmembers Gayle McLaughlin and Claudia Jimenéz
Subject:
Amend the Local Urgency Eviction Moratorium to Indicate that the Ordinance Will Not Apply to Owner Move-ins and Instead Owner Move-ins Will be Regulated by the Original Rent
Program Ordinance.
FINANCIAL IMPACT: There is no financial impact to the City of Richmond for this item
PREVIOUS COUNCIL
ACTION:
An urgency ordinance was passed by the City Council on March 23, 2021, enacting a temporary moratorium on certain evictions of residential tenants in Richmond impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic through the state of the local emergency and sixty days thereafter.
https://www.ci.richmond.ca.us/DocumentCenter/View/57404/Or dinance-02-21-NS
STATEMENT OF THE
ISSUE:
Certain property owners in recent months have repeatedly contacted the City of Richmond stating that they have a critical need to move back into their homes that are currently rented to a tenant. At present, the eviction moratorium ordinance disallows owner move-ins. If we remove owner move-ins from this ordinance, there will still be regulations on owner move-ins, such as payment of relocation fees to the tenant. This item directs City staff to amend the eviction moratorium ordinance to allow for owner move-ins.
AGENDA
REPORT
September 20, 2022
RECOMMENDED
ACTION:
DIRECT City staff to draft an amendment to the Urgency
Eviction Moratorium ordinance (by the end of October) to add a provision within the ordinance that allows for Owner Move-ins during the remainder of this moratorium - Councilmembers Gayle McLaughlin (510-620-6636) and Claudia Jimenéz (510- 620-6565).
DISCUSSION:
On March 23, 2021, the Richmond City Council adopted an urgency ordinance to enact a temporary moratorium on certain evictions of residential tenants to provide these tenant protections during the Local Emergency and 60 days thereafter.
Local, county, and state emergency ordinances are still in place and will likely remain in place until early 2023.
Currently, there are some property owners in Richmond who have health reasons and other critical needs such that they need to move back into their homes/units. As per the Rent Program staff, there have been several property owners who have inquired about owner move-ins over the last six (6) months.
This item directs City staff to come back to City Council by the end of October with an amendment to our Eviction Moratorium Ordinance that allows for owner move-ins consistent with the regulations as defined in the Richmond Fair Rent, Just Cause for Eviction & Homeowner Protection Ordinance.
If possible, this amendment should be an urgency ordinance so that in-need property owners can begin immediately to follow the regulated process to move back into their units/homes. This process includes providing the tenant with relocation fees, plus other stipulations.
DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
Attachment 1 – Ord. 02-21 N.S – Temporary moratorium on certain evictions of residential tenants impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.