White House extends ban on evictions of renters
WASHINGTON — The Biden administration is extending a federal moratorium on evictions of tenants who have fallen behind on rent during the coronavirus pandemic.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Monday moved to continue the pandemic-related protection, which had been scheduled to expire Wednesday. The moratorium is now extended through the end of June.
The ban, initially put in place last year, provides protection for renters out of concern that having families lose their homes and move into shelters or share crowded conditions with relatives or friends during the pandemic would further spread the virus, which has killed more than 545,000 people in the U.S.
To be eligible for the housing protection, renters must earn $198,000 annually or less for couples filing income taxes jointly or $99,000 for single filers; demonstrate that they’ve sought government help to pay rent; declare that they can’t pay because of COVID-19 hardships; and affirm they are likely to become homeless if evicted.
In February, President Joe Biden extended a ban on housing foreclosures to June 30 to help homeowners struggling during the pandemic.
Housing advocates had generally expected the extension of the tenant eviction moratorium and had been lobbying the administration, saying it was too early in the country’s economic recovery to let the ban lapse.
John Pollock, coordinator of the National Coalition for a Civil Right to Counsel, said the moratorium “is vital for ensuring there is enough time for Congress’ emergency rental assistance to reach the millions of renters in need who would otherwise be evicted.”
Pollack said current surveys show that 18.4 percent of all tenants owe back rent. That number also revealed significant racial disparity: The percentage of Black tenants behind on their rent was 32.9 percent.
But Pollock and other housing advocates were disappointed that Biden extended the ban without addressing several issues that put many tenants at risk of eviction.
“In Massachusetts, judges have greenlighted over 1,700 evictions under the federal eviction moratorium. While it is protecting some families, it’s clearly not protecting all,” said Denise Matthews-turner, the interim executive director of City Life/vida Urbana, a grassroots housing justice organization in Boston. “The extension is a good thing, but it’s disappointing that the moratorium wasn’t also strengthened to keep families from falling through the cracks, such as families with nofault evictions or whose landlords won’t accept rent relief.”
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.
Chuck Fowke, chairman of the National Association of Home Builders, said he was “disappointed that the administration is still pushing this poorly thought-out and illegal policy.”
Fowke said in a statement that the government was embracing a shortterm fix by “saddling landlords with the responsibility to provide free housing during this pandemic.”