Frustrations on evictions have boiled over and lawmakers are scrambling to find a solution. How did we get here?
A rare battle is brewing between the White House and House Democrats over a recently expired eviction moratorium that could leave millions of renters at risk of losing their homes. We break down what you need to know below.
When was the eviction moratorium put in place and when does it expire?
Designed to protect vulnerable renters during the pandemic, the Centers for Disease Control set a national eviction moratorium last year and it was renewed by the Biden administration on June 24. But a ruling by the Supreme Court in June concluded that it would be the last one and would expire on Aug. 1 without further action by Congress.
What has Biden said about the eviction moratorium?
Democrats and the White House spent days arguing over who should take responsibility for extending the evictions ban. While the Biden administration said its hands were tied by the Supreme Court ruling, Democratic leaders maintain that Biden does, in fact, have the authority to take action without congressional action.
In an effort to address these frustrations, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen held a conference call with House Democratic Caucus over the issue, saying her department remains committed to keeping people in their homes by helping connect renters to emergency rental aid. “Treasury is using every tool available to us,” Yellen said. She also urged state and local officials to make sure that more than $46 billion in previously approved aid gets to those who need it most.
Will Biden extend the eviction moratorium?
Following a press conference from President Biden announcing the news, the CDC issued a new moratorium to extend the eviction ban until October 3 in areas hit hard by the Delta variant that has led to a spike in cases. But Biden has already acknowledged that it could be struck down by the courts.
This comes as experts say that freezing evictions could be critical in containing the latest wave of coronavirus cases. Housing expert Julia Raifman pointed to a study in the American Journal of Epidemiology that found that the expiration of moratorium evictions was “associated with the increased spread of Covid-19” infections. Then there are also the long-term impacts on low-income families.
“The fear of eviction is also traumatic for everyone and especially for kids,” Raifman, a poverty expert and researcher at Boston University, told us. “It makes it impossible for them to learn, develop, and have the opportunities all kids deserve.”
