CDC Prolongs Eviction Moratorium Until July to Stabilize Housing, Says It's or the Last Time

Evictions Continue Despite CDC Moratorium As COVID-19 Ravages U.S. Economy

(Photo : Getty Images/John Moore)
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - OCTOBER 07: Maricopa County constable Lenny McCloskey climbs into the rear of an apartment to enter and post an eviction order on October 7, 2020 in Phoenix, Arizona. Thousands of court-ordered evictions continue nationwide despite a Centers for Disease Control (CDC) moratorium for renters impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. Although state and county officials say they have tried to educate the public on the protections, many renters remain unaware and fail to complete the necessary forms to remain in their homes. In many cases landlords have worked out more flexible payment plans with vulnerable tenants, although these temporary solutions have become fraught as the pandemic drags on. With millions of Americans still unemployed due to the pandemic, federal rental assistance proposals remain gridlocked in Congress. The expiry of the CDC moratorium at year's end looms large, as renters and landlord face a potential tsunami of evictions and foreclosures nationwide.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has prolonged a moratorium on evictions until the end of the month. They have indicated that it will be the final extension. The prohibition was slated to expire next week. This raised concerns on a probable series of evictions as an estimated seven million tenants are now behind on rent.

The decision bans the eviction of renters who fail to settle rent payments over one year following the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the CDC, Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky has signed an extension of the eviction moratorium, slated from June 30, 2021, to July 31, 2021.

Aid to Tenants

The main purpose of this extension is for President Joe Biden's administration to help millions of tenants unable to settle rent payments during the COVID-19 pandemic. The administration also emphasized that this would be the final extension of the eviction moratorium. According to a Biden administration official, the final month will be utilized for an "all hands on deck" multiagency campaign to alleviate a series of evictions, reported AP.

In addition to this, the current administration considers working with municipalities throughout the US in educating the public on the availability of rental assistance and eviction diversion programs. According to White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki during a press briefing on Wednesday, the Biden administration is setting forth to affirm that American renters could stay in their houses. She did not provide any specifications, reported Forbes.

An extension is necessary to alleviate a wave of evictions before the granting of an estimated $47 billion rental assistance authorized by Congress to cover unpaid back rents, said administration officials. Overall, the progression has been gradual, reported The Wall Street Journal.

The White House recognized on Wednesday that the emergency pandemic protection, which had been prolonged earlier, would have to end at one point. Their strategy is implementing the right type of off-ramp to make the transition without causing huge social disruption.

In a statement released by the CDC, "The COVID-19 pandemic has presented a historic threat to the nation's public health. 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," reported The Hill.

One of the reasons the moratorium was set forth was to thwart the prevalence of the novel coronavirus. By the end of March, 6.4 million American households were behind their rent, according to a report delivered by the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

According to the Biden administration, this will serve as the final extension of the eviction moratorium, and that it still needs time to take other actions. The White House stated it is acknowledging local and state courts to adopt anti-eviction diversion programs to aid tenants, thus helping them avoid facing legal actions.