UPDATE: This extension of the eviction moratorium was ended by the US Supreme Court on Aug 26. See our follow-up: motifri.com/eviction-october-2
With an estimated six million Americans behind on their rent due to the pandemic, the expiration of the federal eviction moratorium on July 30 set off alarms about the possibility of a major economic and public health crisis if landlords would be able to put tenants out on the street. The US Supreme Court ruled earlier 5-4 that a further extension of the moratorium imposed by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) would not be allowed without new legislation by Congress, but a new extension issued today to October 3 differs in that it applies only to areas where there is high COVID-19 transmission, encompassing an estimated 90% of the US population.
Congress previously approved $47 billion in rental relief aid that can be paid directly to landlords on behalf of tenants and does not have to be repaid, but states have been slow to disburse the money and have imposed restrictions that halted the process. Some states were only willing to pay a portion of back rent and landlords had to agree to forego the full amount, causing landlords to refuse to participate. Even in states that have been willing to pay the full amount, applications have required filling out forms with dozens of pages and supporting documents, often requiring printing onto paper and electronic scanning that most applicants have limited access to use. If the new extension is challenged, the hope is that the court proceedings will take long enough to allow money to flow to those in need.
RI tenants can apply for rent relief at rihousing.rentrelief.com. MA tenants can apply at mass.gov/info-details/emergency-housing-payment-assistance-during-covid-19.
The CDC said in a statement that “The eviction moratorium allows additional time for rent relief to reach renters and to further increase vaccination rates. In the context of a pandemic, eviction moratoria — like quarantine, isolation, and social distancing — can be an effective public health measure utilized to prevent the spread of communicable disease. Eviction moratoria facilitate self-isolation and self-quarantine by people who become ill or who are at risk of transmitting COVID-19 by keeping people out of congregate settings and in their own homes.”
CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said when signing the new order, “The emergence of the delta variant has led to a rapid acceleration of community transmission in the United States, putting more Americans at increased risk, especially if they are unvaccinated. This moratorium is the right thing to do to keep people in their homes and out of congregate settings where COVID-19 spreads. It is imperative that public health authorities act quickly to mitigate such an increase of evictions, which could increase the likelihood of new spikes in SARS-CoV-2 transmission. Such mass evictions and the attendant public health consequences would be very difficult to reverse.”
The full, official CDC order is downloadable from cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/covid-eviction-declaration.html.
