To Our ALRP Family Members,
As we continue to witness the impact and reach of COVID-19 in our community, local government officials have issued a number of proclamations, guidance, and orders impacting evictions within San Francisco. These orders continue to evolve on a near-daily basis. In observance of our city’s shelter-in-place order, ALRP and most other legal aid organizations continue to operate remotely, while monitoring these changes to keep our clients informed.
San Francisco Superior Court has issued a 90-day automatic continuance for all eviction trials, settlement conferences, discovery, and motions. Hearings for these matters will not be scheduled until after June 19, 2020. Additionally, a “court holiday” is in effect through April 15, 2020, which effectively extends all filing and response deadlines for court documents and discovery past that date. The sole exception to both of these rules, are cases where an eviction lawsuit is based upon a threat to the health and/or safety of building residents or staff. These “exception” cases will continue to proceed pursuant to normal timelines for evictions. However, jury service at the Superior Court which falls before April 15
th
will be continued on a rolling basis, delaying new jury trials of any kind until after that date. The San Francisco Sheriff’s Office has also indicated that they will not evict any tenant at this time (even with a court order for eviction) until further notice, and regardless of the underlying allegations.
ALRP, local legal service organizations, and back rent assistance agencies are also preparing for an influx of eviction cases, based upon a tenant’s inability to pay rent after losing a job due to our city’s shelter-in-place order. Mayor Breed and local government agencies have issued a number of orders and guidance outlining policies and procedures to ensure tenants are not evicted from their homes, when they are unable to afford their rent after losing their job due to COVID-19, and shelter-in-place orders. In many cases, rental assistance agencies are relaxing their client qualification criteria, fast-tracking applications, and increasing the amount of monetary support they can provide, in order to meet this increased demand. At the same time, ALRP and other local legal service organizations are demanding stronger protections for tenants who lose their jobs, by way of advocacy to local officials.
ALRP stands ready to assist tenants living with HIV/AIDS who are involved in, or at risk for eviction. We strongly encourage residents to contact our office if they find themselves unable to afford their rent, or to address legal issues with their housing. Please refer
here
for more information on how to access our services during this time.
From the heart,
Jeff Dulgar
Supervising Attorney
