WASHINGTON Biden prolongs ban on evictions amid pandemic
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 pandemicrelated protection, which had been scheduled to expire on 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 highly contagious virus.
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 COVID19 hardships; and affirm they are likely to become homeless if evicted.
In February, President Biden also extended a ban on housing foreclosures to June 30 to help homeowners struggling during the pandemic.
Housing advocates had been lobbying the Biden administration, saying it was too early in the country’s economic recovery to let the eviction 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’s emergency rental assistance to reach the millions of renters in need who would otherwise be evicted.”
Pollack said current surveys show 18.4% of all tenants owe back rent. That number also revealed a significant racial disparity: The percentage of Black tenants behind on rent was 32.9%.
Diane Yentel, president of the National Low Income Housing Coalition, said she and others had pushed to make the ban’s protections automatic and universal. Currently, tenants have to take steps to invoke the ban’s protections, which can lead to exploitation of those who don’t know their rights or don’t understand the process.
Also, some jurisdictions have allowed landlords to initiate the eviction process in court, a tactic that scared many families into leaving rather than having the eviction proceedings, even unfinished ones, on their records.
Landlords in several states have sued to scrap the order, arguing it was causing them financial hardship and infringing on their property rights.