City of Philadelphia - File #: 200263

• File #: 200263
• Version: 0
• Type: Resolution
• Status: ADOPTED
• File created: 3/12/2020
• In control: CITY COUNCIL
• Final action: 5/1/2020
• Title: Calling on the Philadelphia Sheriff's Office, the First Judicial District of Pennsylvania, and area utility companies to explore temporary moratoriums on evictions, residential foreclosures, tax liens on residential properties, and utility shut-offs in response to the COVID-19 health emergency.
• Sponsors: Councilmember Gym, Councilmember Brooks, Councilmember Gauthier, Councilmember Johnson, Councilmember Thomas, Councilmember Gilmore Richardson, Councilmember Henon, Councilmember Quiñones Sánchez, Councilmember Bass, Councilmember Jones
• Indexes: COVID-19

Date	Ver.	Action By	Action	Result	Tally
5/1/2020	0	CITY COUNCIL
3/12/2020	0	CITY COUNCIL

Title
Calling on the Philadelphia Sheriff's Office, the First Judicial District of Pennsylvania, and area utility companies to explore temporary moratoriums on evictions, residential foreclosures, tax liens on residential properties, and utility shut-offs in response to the COVID-19 health emergency.
Body
WHEREAS, We as local leaders recognize that economic security is fundamental to public health, and that we are only as healthy as those most vulnerable, least economically secure, and least covered by our social services. Thus we must do all we can to keep people secure enough to take care of themselves and endure a quarantine or treatment if required; and

WHEREAS, The World Health Organization ("WHO") has declared the COVID-19 outbreak a global pandemic, defined as the worldwide spread of a new virus for which most people do not have immunity; and

WHEREAS, More than 1,000 Americans have confirmed cases of COVID-19. Significant delays in testing have placed national testing rates far behind other countries, suggesting that many potential cases have gone untested and, thus potentially uncontained; and

WHEREAS, On March 6, 2020, Governor Wolf issued an emergency disaster declaration specifically noting a "threat of imminent disaster and emergency" with the potential to "cause significant adverse impacts" throughout the Commonwealth. There have been fifteen reported cases of COVID-19 in Pennsylvania to date; and

WHEREAS, In preparation for a likely health emergency, the City of Philadelphia began implementing precautionary measures, such as issuing citywide health guidelines and canceling large-scale public gatherings; and

WHEREAS, COVID-19 presents severe challenges for the public health and economic well-being of communities. According to the Pew Charitable Trusts, over 112,000 Philadelphia residents do not have health insurance. Health experts fear COVID-19 could be dire for vulnerable populations, such as the elderly, individuals with chronic condit...