Mayor Harry S. Sidhu

We are proposing a temporary moratorium on evictions for non-payment of rent by residential tenants impacted by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in addition to suspending the discontinuation of water and electricity services.

On March 12, 2020, Disneyland Resort announced it will be closing its parks for the remainder of the month. Their halt of operation not only impacts the Disneyland employees, but all of the surrounding businesses that rely on tourism for their businesses to operate. According to the Anaheim Demographic Profile, there is an estimated 32,000 people employed by Disneyland Resort. Disneyland has offered to continue to pay its employees, however, what about the rest of the businesses in the surrounding areas? In Anaheim there are 140 hotels, which the majority of their guests come for the sole purpose of visiting Disneyland. Hotels that were once sold out are now empty, people are being temporarily laid off, businesses are closing. How will our Anaheim residents pay for their rent, when the next paycheck is not promised? Anaheim has a renter population of roughly 208,057 people that’s 57.9% of the total Anaheim population.

The City of Santa Monica has already issued a temporary moratorium on evictions, and we believe that a similar moratorium is not only beneficial, but essential for the majority of Anaheim residents. This will not only prevent honest working residents from losing their permanent housing but can also promote our city’s economy as we continue to support our local businesses without fear of financial instability.