TITLE
Recommendation to request City Manager to work with all other appropriate departments, to evaluate the feasibility of implementing a temporary suspension of the Proactive Rental Housing Inspection Program (PRHIP) and business licensing renewal fees for residential rental property owners and commercial property owners impacted by the COVID-19;
Furthermore, request City Manager to work with appropriate departments to find additional financial relief or incentives at the local level for residential and commercial owners that are being directly impacted by revenue loss due to the COVID-19 and create an official website or source of information in various languages for those affected.
DISCUSSION
On March 4, 2020, the Governor proclaimed a State of Emergency to exist in California due to the threat posed by the novel coronavirus, COVID-19. Despite sustained efforts, COVID-19 remains a threat, and many residential and commercial tenants and housing providers have experienced, or will soon experience, sudden income loss resulting from COVID-19. Income loss will impact some tenants' and housing providers' ability to pay rent or mortgages when due. In response to this crisis, the Long Beach City Council adopted an emergency eviction moratorium ordinance on Tuesday, March 24, 2020 for residential and commercial tenants adversely (or financially) affected by COVID-19.
Given this potential pause in income for residential and commercial property owners, City Council consideration is needed to approve local efforts to temporarily pause annual fees and charges payable to the City of Long Beach by these same residential and commercial property owners until January 1, 2021.
Also, additional relief, resources and incentives should be explored and easily made available to the public in compliance with our Language Access Policy.
This matter has been reviewed by Budget Manager Grace H. Yoon on April 3, 2020.
FISCAL IMPACT
This recommendation requests the City Mana...
Click here for full text