CDC evict moratorium is extended to June 30

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Monday extended a moratorium on evictions due to the coronavirus pandemic just days before the measure was due to expire.

CDC chief Dr. Rochelle Walensky extended the limited eviction ban for another three months, giving more breathing space to hard-pressed tenants struggling to pay their bills. The moratorium is now extended through the end of June.

“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,” Walensky said in a statement.

To be eligible for the housing protection, renters must earn $198,000 annually or less for couples filing jointly, or $99,000 for single filers, demonstrate that they’ve sought government help to pay the rent, declare that they can’t pay because of COVID-19 hardships and confirm they are likely to become homeless if evicted.

Mayor de Blasio cheered the move, noting that “we are still in the throes of this crisis.

“Keeping the moratorium in place long enough for folks to actually get their incomes back is crucial,” Hizzoner said.

But landlords trashed the move, calling it a politically motivated stunt that “continues to ignore the real problems. “The deeper tenants go into rent arrears, the less likely they will ever be able to play catchup,” said Joseph Strasburg, president of the Rent Stabilization Association, which represents 25,000 landlords in New York City.

Landlords in several states have sued to scrap the order, arguing it was causing them financial hardship and infringing on their property rights. They remain opposed to any extension, saying it does nothing to address the financial challenges facing renters and landlords.

There are at least six prominent lawsuits challenging the authority of the CDC ban. So far, three judges have sided with the ban and three have ruled against, with all cases currently going through appeals.