WASHINGTON—The Biden administration announced a three-month extension to a national eviction moratorium, a move designed to help millions of tenants who have fallen behind on their rent even as courts have disagreed on whether the relief is legal.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention extended the eviction moratorium through June 30. It had been set to expire Wednesday.
The moratorium, which originated from an executive order signed by then-President Donald Trump in September, protects tenants who have missed monthly rent payments from being thrown out of their homes if they declare financial hardship.
“The Covid-19 pandemic has presented a historic threat to the nation’s public health,” the White House said in a press release Monday. “Keeping people in their homes and out of crowded or congregate settings—like homeless shelters—by preventing evictions is a key step in helping to stop the spread of Covid-19.”
A series of conflicting court rulings have called into question the legality of the moratorium. At least three federal judges—in Tennessee, Ohio and Texas—have ruled the moratorium is unlawful. The Justice Department is appealing those cases.
