Bloc introduces bill to freeze rent and evictions

The House minority bloc introduced Thursday a bill that would give Gov. Ralph DLG Torres the authority to stop rent increases, as well as prohibit evictions and foreclosures.

Introduced to the floor by Rep. Tina Sablan (Ind-Saipan), the legislation, House Bill 21-112, authorizes the freeze on rent increases, evictions, and foreclosures during a declared state of emergency or major disaster.

The minority bloc has been appealing to the governor to prohibit any evictions of residential and commercial tenants, who are pressed for payments as the CNMI faces the COVID-19 pandemic.

“All of us have been hearing from very anxious constituents who are at risk of eviction or foreclosure in the middle of a public health crisis. We’re in the middle of a pandemic. This is not the time for people to be losing their homes,” Sablan said.

The draft legislation would amend the Commonwealth Price Freeze Act and give Torres the authority to put a freeze on rent increases for both residential as well as commercial tenants, and also freeze evictions and foreclosures.

The day before, on Wednesday, the Office of the Governor issued a press release stating that a draft legislation is being proposed by Torres and Lt. Gov. Arnold I. Palacios to suspend evictions and foreclosures in the CNMI during the COVID-19 public health emergency and CNMI state of significant emergency.

The draft legislation would prevent landlords and mortgagees from commencing eviction and foreclosure actions by prohibiting them from evicting or foreclosing on a tenant or mortgagor foreclosure based on nonpayment of rent or mortgage.

The draft bill states that “in the event the landlord or mortgagee has already obtained a court order prior to the enactment of the law, the bill prevents any person from enforcing a writ of possession or judgment of foreclosure sale.”

The draft legislation, however, was not introduced in Thursday’s session. The House minority acknowledged the legislation that was drafted and said they are open to having both bills reconciled.

“We’re interested in working with our colleagues to see how we can reconcile the two, perhaps we can incorporate elements of both bills into something that affords meaningful protections to people while also balancing the needs for landlords and property owners as well, who are relying on this income,” Sablan said.

House Bill 21-112 has been tabled for discussion for the next House session. (Iva Maurin)