Halting evictions

The Trump administration has announced a temporary eviction moratorium that will protect renters through the end of the year. Enacted through emergency powers by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the extraordinary move is likely to save lives by keeping people sheltered during a public health emergency. Without further action from Congress, the administration’s order will merely delay a wave of evictions until the new year.

With up to 40 million people at risk of eviction, the CDC’s order comes not a moment too soon. The previous federal eviction moratorium expired on July 25, some state protections have expired, and it’s anyone’s guess whether and when Congress will extend the supplemental unemployment benefit it let lapse at the end of July.

The CDC’s order applies to renters experiencing pandemic-related financial hardship: renters under a certain income threshold for whom eviction would likely lead to homelessness or crowded living can claim this protection.

The CDC’s order is motivated by the urgent need to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus, which makes sense, given the agency’s mandate and authority. Evicting people now would likely force them to move in with friends and family in settings that make social distancing difficult, or to seek services from homeless shelters, many of which have reported extensive coronavirus outbreaks.

But slowing the spread of the virus isn’t the only emergency here. Advocates have also highlighted the terrible costs of eviction to individual families. As families struggle under overlapping burdens, eviction could trap them in poverty.