The Poway City Council has passed a moratorium on commercial evictions to help those affected by the coronavirus, a spokeswoman said Wednesday.
Council members voted 4-0 at their meeting Tuesday night to suspend commercial evictions until May 31, said Rene Carmichael, the city's community outreach coordinator.
Councilwoman Caylin Frank, who recently gave birth to a son, is on maternity leave and did not attend the meeting.
The council also directed staff to develop a loan program for small businesses affected by the pandemic, Carmichael said. More details on the Small Business Bridge Loan Program will be presented at the next council meeting April 21, she added.
She said the council agreed on loan program framework, including:
— The city would set aside up to $2 million in loans for small businesses in Poway;
— The maximum amount would be $50,000;
— Small businesses are defined as having a maximum of 50 employees.
Both the San Diego city and county governments recently passed moratoriums on evictions for residents and business owners, and local officials have also initiated a series of business assistance programs.
On March 16, the county — in partnership with the San Diego Foundation, United Way of San Diego and other major regional players — launched the San Diego COVID-19 Community Fund and asked the public to donate. The $1.3 million fund focuses on three key areas impacting San Diegans: food insecurity, rental and utility assistance and income replacement — also known as gap funding.
During an emergency meeting on March 25, the San Diego City Council unanimously approved a multimillion-dollar small business relief fund proposed by Mayor Kevin Faulconer. One day earlier, the San Marcos City Council approved the COVID-19 Business Sustainability Program that sets aside up to $3 million for short-term business loans.
