Somerville Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone will submit a request to the Board of Health (BOH) this month that would revise and extend the city’s current residential eviction moratorium for 90 days, until September 15. The proposal would, as of the date of its passage, end the commercial eviction moratorium and allow landlords and their agents to enter residential units for non-emergency reasons, with 48 hours advance written notice to tenants, an opportunity to reschedule where necessary, and provided that COVID protocols are followed . The city’s emergency declaration will remain in effect throughout this 90-day period. The BOH will consider the proposal at its June 17 meeting.
The Emergency Order Establishing a Moratorium on Eviction Enforcement in the City of Somerville was issued by Mayor Curtatone and the BOH in March 2020.
The city’s Office of Housing Stability (OHS) is available to help residents facing eviction. If you are facing eviction or have been unable to pay your rent, contact OHS by filling out the intake form at www.somervillema.gov/ohs or calling 617-625-6600 x2581.
Individuals with disabilities who need auxiliary aids and services for effective communication (i.e., CART, ASL), written materials in alternative formats, or reasonable modifications in policies and procedures in order to access the programs and activities of the City of Somerville or to attend meetings should contact Nancy Bacci in advance at 617-625-6600 x2250 or NBacci@somervillema.gov.
So who is going to pay the landlord’s mortgage? Is Mayor Curtatone going to guarantee that no landlords will be foreclosed? Is the mayor guaranteeing that the rent owed to the landlords?
This seems like something it would be useful to have some data for. How many people would get evicted for nonpayment of rent if the moratorium were lifted? Is it 5 or 500? How far behind? Are the people behind making progress toward not being behind? Is extending the moratorium going to help, or is it just delaying an inevitable eviction while leaving the landlords further in red?
Why isn’t the city at the same time giving landlords a break on property tax, water/sewer tax, etc. I think they believe that all landlords are rich absentee landlords. And by the way, when will City Hall open for the people’s business???