Biden extends eviction protections
On his first day in office, President Joe Biden signed an executive order requesting that federal eviction protections be extended through the end of March for renters facing financial hardship because of the pandemic.
The federal government's eviction moratorium has been in place since September, and this is its third extension.
Renters are protected if they meet several criteria, including:
• They used their “best efforts” to obtain government assistance for rent or housing costs.
• They don't expect to earn more than $ 99,000 in annual income. If that qualification doesn't work, a tenant is also eligible if they received a federal stimulus check in 2020 or if they didn't have to report any income for 2019 taxes.
• They are unable to pay full rent due to substantial loss of household income throughout the pandemic.
• They are trying to make timely partial rent payments.
• They would likely become
homeless or have to live in a shared-living setting if they were evicted.
Landlords have been told they can collect back rent once the moratorium ends, and the moratorium doesn't automatically apply. Renters must
find out about the protections, fill out their own forms stating they meet the criteria, and present that information to their landlord.
The Centers for Disease Control website has a copy of a tenant declaration form.
In Oklahoma County, since the beginning of the pandemic, more than 7,200 evictions have been filed, according to Open Justice Oklahoma, which has been tracking evictions. Only about 2,000 evictions have been granted.
The second COVID-19 relief bill, which Congress passed in December, set aside $25 billion for rental assistance. Oklahoma County officials recently submitted a request to receive some of the money.
Housing advocates and service providers in the metro area have said that while eviction moratoriums have been helpful in buying time for individuals to stay housed while finding jobs or receiving assistance, many worry high numbers of evictions are only delayed.
And for Oklahoma landlords, many who are small operations, it means more months without consistent income.
Anyone with questions about available resources for housing assistance can call 2-1-1 for more information.
Staff writer Kayla Branch covers Oklahoma County government, homelessness and poverty for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea or comment for Kayla? She can be reached at kbranch@oklahoman.com or on Twitter at @kayla_branch. Support Kayla's work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at oklahoman.com/subscribe.