Extension of CDC eviction moratorium
Yesterday, January 20th on his first day in office, President Joe Biden extended the ban on home evictions and foreclosures imposed last year to mitigate the Covid-19 pandemic. In an executive order Biden signed within hours of his Wednesday inauguration, he directed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to delay the expiration of an order barring landlords from pushing out some tenants for nonpayment of rent.
The order calls for the moratorium, set to expire at the end of this month, to be extended through at least March 31. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Rochelle Walensky shared that she will extend the federal eviction moratorium until at least March 31. Almost one in five households were behind on their rent in December 2020, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Quoted earlier in the month, the 46th President said, “If we don’t act now, there will be a wave of evictions and foreclosures in the coming months as the pandemic rages on,” “This would overwhelm emergency shelters and increase Covid-19 infections as people have nowhere to go and can’t socially distance.” Biden said that rental assistance would not only aid renters at risk of eviction but also “be a bridge to economic recovery for countless mom and pop landlords.”
In order to qualify, renters must submit CDC Form, “DECLARATION UNDER PENALTY OF PERJURY FOR THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION’S TEMPORARY HALT IN EVICTIONS TO PREVENT FURTHER SPREAD OF COVID-19".
Rent relief is coming
Federal funding for rent relief is expected in late January. Funds will first flow to States and some large cities. Once that occurs it will be up to the States and cities to distribute the funds to renters/landlords. In Los Angeles county, renters must apply, and landlords must agree to participate. Once approved funds flow directly to the landlord. This process could take a while and likely the need will far outpace the demand. While the effort to assist renters and landlords is commendable, the process maybe too onerous and the funds too limited to prevent evictions once the moratorium has expired.