Today my colleagues and I met remotely for our City Council meeting and passed new rules to provide more relief to working families and small businesses fighting to make ends meet in these extremely challenging times. Since the outbreak of COVID-19 and the Safer at Home Order, the City has swiftly adopted measures to help ease the economic impacts many face due to the sudden loss of income or business revenue. To that end, my colleagues and I have adopted a temporary moratorium on evictions for non-payment of residential and commercial rents for tenants, a moratorium on rent increases in rent-stabilized units, a halt on disconnections and late fees from the Department of Water and Power, and relaxed street sweeping parking enforcement. These efforts are important and do provide temporary relief, but more must be done to ensure that working families in our community do not fall through the gaps and into poverty or homelessness because of COVID-19.

I’m pursuing every opportunity to support you while you honor orders to remain at home -- from creating partnerships with nonprofits like North Valley Caring Services to feed families, developing a cash assistance program to help working parents with El Nido, to teaming up with Lyft to deliver food to homebound seniors. Today, I also introduced a comprehensive package of legislation to provide additional relief and further protect residents who have lost their jobs or had their businesses closed. A few of my motions introduced today include:

1. Moratorium on Debt Collection: The motion requests that the Mayor amend his “Safer at Home” Emergency Order to specifically declare collection agencies and credit agencies as “non-essential” businesses during the emergency and further to impose a moratorium during this time on all debt collection efforts.
   
2. Protecting the Families of First Responders: The motion directs the City to contract with hotels, motels and other lodging providers to temporarily house first responders that have been exposed to COVID-19 and are required to be isolated or choose to self isolate.
   
3. Redeploying LADOT Buses to Deliver Meals & Resources to Shelters: With the Safer at Home orders in effect, the Department of Transportation (LADOT) has seen a reduction in bus ridership. This motion directs LADOT in consultation with the Los Angeles Homeless Service Authority (LAHSA) to utilize LADOT buses to transport clients to and from shelters and to deliver food and other supplies.
   
4. Accelerating Infrastructure Projects During Safer at Home Order: As the City of Los Angeles is experiencing a dramatic reduction in traffic due to social distancing, the City should take the opportunity to expedite infrastructure projects in the public right-of-way. The motion directs the City to reprioritize capital project schedules and help accelerate the City’s economic recovery.
5. Scaling Impact for Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) to Support Small Businesses - CDFIs are designed to help generate economic growth and opportunity in under-invested and disadvantaged communities through issuing financial services and small business loans. The motion directs the City’s Economic Workforce Development Department to review best practices of COVID-19 relief programs offered by CDFIs to scale the impact and provide even more relief to small businesses in Los Angeles.

COVID-19 is unlike any crisis our City has ever experienced and it requires all levels of government and community partners working together to provide relief for working families, tenants, property owners, and businesses. We must continue to triage the immediate public health and economic impacts of the coronavirus, and plan ahead for the post-pandemic recovery. As always my office is here in service to you. Please do not hesitate to email me at [email protected] or contact my Pacoima City Hall Office (818) 485-0600 or Sylmar District Office (818) 756-8409.

Sincerely,

Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez