Demings pushes bill to stop evictions, foreclosures during future disasters

“Residents should not be burdened with locating a place to sleep at night during an already stressful time.”

U. S. Rep. Al Lawson, D-Jacksonville

U.S. Rep. Val Demings, D-Orlando, has introduced new legislation that would automatically trigger a temporary stop on all evictions and foreclosures for homeowners with federally backed mortgages when a disaster is declared.

The bill, named the Federal Disaster Housing Stability Act of 2021, comes after an eviction moratorium issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention during the COVID-19 pandemic was repeatedly challenged in court. In July, a U.S. Supreme Court opinion said the CDC overstepped its role when it created the moratorium and, if lawmakers wanted an eviction ban in place, Congress would need to pass legislation.

The bill would apply to future emergencies.

“Disasters happen, but evictions during a disaster don’t need to,” Demings said in a statement. “We should not allow Americans to go homeless due to emergencies outside of their control. ... We know that Floridians will continue to experience future severe storms and other disasters, and we need to ensure that Floridian families are fully protected during these difficult times.”

The bill aims to stop evictions for at least 90 days and foreclosures for at least six months following a future disaster — only in the areas where the disaster is federally declared — to provide stability for renters and homeowners, particularly those in low-income households.

“I have seen firsthand the toll that natural disasters, most recently with Hurricanes Michael and Irma, has placed on families across North Florida,” said U. S. Rep. Al Lawson, DJacksonville. “... Residents should not be burdened with locating a place to sleep at night during an already stressful time.”

In addition to natural disasters like hurricanes and earthquakes, the bill would also protect renters and homeowners vulnerable to homelessness during a pandemic and all other federally declared disasters, Aimee Collins-Mandeville, Demings’ legislative director confirmed. The bill has gained support from housing advocacy groups including the National Low Income Housing Coalition, whose CEO, Diane Yentel, has long called for reforms that could have done more to protect renters during the COVID-19 pandemic, which left thousands evicted across Florida and millions more vulnerable nationwide despite the CDC moratorium. In a statement, Yentel said Demings’ legislation should be part of “a comprehensive overhaul of our nation’s disaster housing recovery framework to ensure a complete and equitable recovery for survivors.”

“America’s disaster housing recovery system is fundamentally broken and in need of major reform,” Yentel said. “Too often, the lowest-income and most marginalized survivors face an increased risk of housing instability and, in worst cases, homelessness after a major disaster.”