SANTA CLARA COUNTY, CA — Santa Clara County and San Jose leaders on Thursday addressed misinformation surrounding the new countywide eviction moratorium, emphasizing that residents have to communicate with landlords and that late fees and interest are prohibited during the novel coronavirus response.

The moratorium is not a rent freeze, but rather allows tenants 120 days of deferred payment on their rent if This can include indirect impacts, such as family members who need financial support due to the virus, or reduced work hours from staying at home to take care of children.

Residents have to provide documentation of the hardship. County supervisors approved the ordinance at their weekly meeting on March 23, following a citywide ordinance by the San Jose City Council earlier last month. The eviction freeze lasts until May 31, at which point the 120-day period begins, and could be extended based on new developments with COVID-19.

The ordinance also applies to small business owners who have suffered losses or had to close. "We want to make sure no tenant is under the false belief that 'Oh great, I just don't have to pay at all.'" Supervisor Dave Cortese said during a virtual news conference Thursday. "You have to pay at some point, you still owe the rent, but you can't be evicted while you're struggling or unable to pay at this point in time."

Christopher Rios, a Milpitas resident of four years who has lost income due to COVID-19, said tenants are already making difficult decisions about what medications they can afford to continue, what meals they can skip, and which utility bills are essential.

"I'm definitely nowhere near the poverty line, so to tell you that we're struggling right now -- it should be a sign. It should be a signal for you to understand that your constituents are ultimately suffering," Rios said.

"I'm here to tell you that this is not the middle of it, this is really just the beginning, we're not even at the halfway point. We don't really know how long a quarantine could go into effect for, we don't know how long we could be out of work for," he said. He added that civil lawsuits from landlords could flood the courts after the moratorium ends if local leaders are unable to create lasting support for income and job loss throughout the county.