The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced an extension of the ban eviction through the end of June. The ban eviction was set to expire in just two days at the end of March.
According to CNBC, likely informing the health agency’s decision to extend the ban for three months is the fact that mass evictions could undermine the country’s attempts to get the coronavirus pandemic under control. That is because many displaced people double up with family members or friends or are forced to turn to crowded shelters.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has presented a historic threat to the nation’s public health,” CDC director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said in a statement. “Keeping people in their homes and out of crowded or congregate settings, like homeless shelters, by preventing evictions is a key step in helping to stop the spread of COVID-19.”
As stated by an NPR report, more than 8 million American households are behind on their rent, according to the Census Bureau. And housing groups have warned that allowing the CDC’s protection for renters to lapse would set off a large number of evictions.
Eviction ban extension to help families
“The extended moratorium and its enforcement are essential to help millions of families remain in their homes,” says Diane Yentel, president of the National Low Income Housing Coalition. She says states and local communities need the time to distribute billions of dollars in emergency rental assistance approved by Congress to help renters catch up.
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On the other hand, landlord trade groups have been opposed to the eviction ban extension. They say landlords need to have control of their properties. “Though politically popular and well-intentioned, eviction moratoria push renters and their housing providers closer to the brink of financial ruin,” said Bob Pinnegar, president and CEO of the National Apartment Association.
Meanwhile, renters in many states are now able to apply for federal rental assistance money, upwards of $50 billion. Application portals opened in March and the money is beginning to flow.
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