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Californians who were facing eviction, foreclosure or utility shutoffs as businesses close and employees face reduced wages due to the coronavirus outbreak were granted a measure of relief Monday when Gov. Gavin Newsom announced protections for renters and homeowners.

The executive order came almost two weeks after the governor proclaimed a state of emergency and established increasingly restrictive safety measures as COVID-19 continues to spread. The order is intended to improve housing security by allowing local governments to halt evictions, slow foreclosures and protect consumers against utility shut-offs until June, according to release from the governor's press office.

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"People shouldn’t lose or be forced out of their home because of the spread of COVID-19," Newsom said. "Over the next few weeks, everyone will have to make sacrifices – but a place to live shouldn’t be one of them. I strongly encourage cities and counties take up this authority to protect Californians."

The announcement was made the same day economists at UCLA on Monday said COVID-19 will trigger a recession in the United States and lead to the loss of as many as 2 million jobs, The Desert Sun reported. California could be hit particularly hard, according to the report, because of its reliance on tourism and trans-Pacific travel.

Order gives local authorities power to halt evictions

The order allows local governments to suspend residential or commercial evictions arising from a tenant's inability to pay rent or foreclosure due to a substantial decrease in household or business income related to COVID-19. Examples of what might lead to this kind of financial trouble include a layoff, a reduction in hours, a decrease in business income, or a substantial medical expense.

Not long before Newsom's order was announced, Palm Springs Mayor Geoff Kors said that the city was in the process of drafting an ordinance to establish similar protections.

"I have heard from people worried about not being able to pay rent but not of anyone who has received an eviction notice," Kors said by email. "No one should lose their housing as a result of this health emergency."

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While the protections provided by the measure will certainly be welcomed by people who have been thrust into unexpected financial hardship, tenants are still responsible for paying their rent.

"Nothing in this order shall relieve a tenant of the obligation to pay rent, nor restrict a landlord's ability to recover rent due," Newsom's order reads.

Additionally, Newsom requested that all public housing authorities extend deadlines for housing assistance recipients. Financial institutions should implement an "immediate moratorium on foreclosures and related evictions" due to COVID-19, the order reads.

Public and private utility providers should protect access to utilities, such as "electric, gas, water, internet, landlines telephone, and cell phone service," Newsom ordered. And the California Public Utilities Commission should monitor these protections.