Florida Democrats call for statewide moratorium on evictions and foreclosures

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Democratic lawmakers and local officials have called on Gov. Ron DeSantis to enact a statewide moratorium on evictions and foreclosures.

During a virtual news conference held Tuesday, the elected officials from Orlando and South Florida pointed to waves of recent layoffs amid the coronavirus pandemic and a state unemployment website riddled with errors as reasons to provide relief for struggling Floridians.

“We’re asking for the governor to protect the people of Florida, and that starts with the roof over their heads,” said state Rep. Shevrin Jones of West Park.

Joining him were state Rep. Anna Eskamani of Orlando, state Sen. Oscar Braynon of Miami Gardens, Hallandale Beach Vice Mayor Sabrina Javellana and Coral Springs City Commissioner Joshua Simmons.

Other states, including California and Nevada, have enacted temporary eviction bans. In New York, some lawmakers and tenant activists have taken it a step further, calling for a moratorium on rent payments. The federal government has halted evictions and foreclosures at properties owned by the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Florida has taken more of a piecemeal approach — inadequate, according to the lawmakers who spoke Tuesday. Counties including Hillsborough and Miami-Dade have enacted their own eviction freezes. Others, including Pinellas, haven’t taken up the issue.

At the same time, counties including Pinellas and Hillsborough have enacted orders urging residents to stay home. DeSantis announced Monday a similar order for four counties in South Florida.

The result has been a patchwork of regulations that leaves too many people vulnerable, lawmakers said. Jones pointed to a notice issued to residents of a Bradenton apartment complex that has been shared online.

“If you think that you don’t have to pay rent because of the pandemic, you are mistaken. We still must pay the bills to keep your apartment over your head,” said the notice, according to a copy posted at the online message board Reddit. “Anyone receiving disability or social security have no excuse to fall short on paying their rent.”

Said Jones: “Imagine individuals receiving this type of letter. Let’s be real: People are dying ... We need to get our act together and clearly define a plan to protect the health and economic safety of all Floridians.”

The closest the state has come to statewide action on housing relief came from the Florida Supreme Court.

Chief Justice Charles Canady issued an administrative order last week changing the rulebook on evictions and foreclosures. The order gives circuit court clerks in each of the state’s 67 counties the power to temporarily halt issuing the final document in an eviction or foreclosure process. The document, called a writ of possession, enables law enforcement to remove tenants or homeowners under foreclosure.

But the order has caused confusion among court clerks, resulting in varying interpretations, the Tampa Bay Times found. And it only lasts through April 17, Braynon noted. Public health experts have said the coronavirus crisis could carry on for months.

“We have to think of this from a longer-term perspective," he said. “This crisis does not have a timetable.”

The governor’s office did not respond to a request for comment.

Asked how an eviction moratorium would affect landlords who depend on rents, Jones replied that they can look to a recently passed federal stimulus package for help.

“There are options that are out there,” he said, "but we must make sure we’re taking care of our most vulnerable Floridians.”

Times/Herald staff writer Samantha J. Gross contributed to this report.

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