La Opinion asked its readers to comment on whether or not to pay off the rent debt during the crisis caused by COVID-19
A protester displays a message from his car.
Photo:
ETIENNE LAURENT / EFE
In the midst of a huge economic crisis and with millions of Californians who have lost their jobs, comes a new cycle of rent payments that many cannot meet.
La Opinion asked its readers on Facebook to comment on these rent defaults caused by the loss of jobs due to measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
Los Angeles tenants and apartment owners also urged during a demonstration on Thursday, April 30, the US government and Los Angeles authorities to issue an order to forgive the rent or mortgage debt to those tenants who have to "choose between paying rent or food."
There are readers who commented that The reality they face is that they have not been able to pay two months of rent.
And readers also opined in many cases that landlords will also be hurt a lot with defaults, they even thought that a solution would be that the landlords also forgive their payments for the properties:
Dey Escobar Alvarez He commented: “But what use is it that they give us 6 months to catch up, likewise we have to work very hard to pay for it and it will cost many a lot. That should apply to homeowner payments, just as they are suffering, they need to pay for their home, they should forgive those payments.
Enzo Nardone He wrote: "These people want everything for free just because of the coronavirus, these people believe that the owners of the buildings do not pay the mortgage on the properties, taxes and insurance."
And Felipe Salazar He said: "We want everything given away, medical care, welfare, food, education, and when it comes to producing we don't know how to do anything."
So we see that there are readers who also defend landlords:
As they thought Veronica Gaona Mireles: “And what fault is the owner of said property? You also need that money. ” And Beto Torres: "They must pay, I say in payments little by little, because the owners owe the mortgages, I say, but if the government wants to help paying the rent, the money from where it comes is welcome to pay the mortgage, that nothing is free."
Reader Martin Ornelas suggests that: "If you can't 100%, yes 50%, so that the two help each other. Otherwise people without work will be in debt for a long time. If it already costs month by month it costs, now when they are 6 or more together. But it has to be done already. ”
Rental Aid in Los Angeles and California
The City of Los Angeles Department of Housing and Community Development has released a notice that tenants who are unable to pay rent must fill out and turn in to their landlord.
The department makes this simple resource available to city residents. It helps them establish evidence of non-payment due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
🔴 Attn: Tenants and Landlords
HCIDLA has published a Fact Sheet, AND Notification Form for tenants to use to notify their landlords of payment delay (s) due to #coronavirus #covid-19 related issues. ToGo to: https://t.co/ok822Xnfz5 and download.
➡️Available in other languages pic.twitter.com/3FtouU6ZAw– HCIDLA (@HCIDLA) April 28, 2020
The Mayor, Eric Garcetti, and the city's Municipal Council have created protections for tenants due to the economic crisis derived from the health emergency.
On March 23 the mayor issued a moratorium order on evictions for nonpayment of rent. A week later, on March 30, it also banned rent increases.
The City Council also announced a financial aid program for city residents who have been affected by the crisis.
However, protections do not remove tenants' responsibility to make payment and furthermore these must give written notice to your landlord that you will not be able to make the payment.
Related: A list of financial aid available in California
The L.A Department of Housing and Community Development It has created the notice form and also a list of legal assistance for whoever needs it.
Similarly, those who receive an eviction notice can file a complaint with the department here.
