Apartment Association of Los Angeles County, Inc. v. County of Los Angeles

I. Background

24 The global COVID-19 pandemic is now in its third year. At the 25 outset of the pandemic in the spring of 2020, Defendant Los Angeles 26 County (“the County”) implemented a moratorium on evictions of 27 residential tenants. (Complaint ¶ 2.) The moratorium was premised 28 on the County Board of Supervisors’ finding that “COVID 19 is Case 2:22-cv-02085-DDP-JEM Document Filed 10/19/ Page 2 of Page ID #:1500

causing, and is expected to continue to cause, serious financial impacts to Los Angeles County residents and businesses, . . . impeding their ability to pay rent[.]” (Plaintiff’s Request for Judicial Notice, Ex. 7 at 203.) The Board further found that “displacing residential . . . tenants . . . will worsen the present crisis,” and “severely impact the health, safety and welfare of County residents.” (Id. at 203-204.) Although it remains to be seen whether, as Plaintiffs optimistically assert, “[w]e are at the end stages of the pandemic,” 2022 has not seen the lockdowns and other economic disruptions of the earlier days of the public health crisis. (Reply at 16.) Fortunately, Los Angeles County’s…