WASHINGTON — The Biden administration has extended a moratorium on housing eviction though the end of June offering a continued stopgap measure for millions of Americans at risk for losing their homes amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
The move comes days before the ban on evictions for renters affected by the pandemic was set to expire. Housing and poverty advocates had been urging the administration to make extend the protection because unemployment remains above 6 percent and around 1,000 people a day continue to die from Covid-19.
More than 10 million Americans are behind on rent or mortgage payments and more than 5 million say they are at risk of eviction or foreclosure, according to a Census Bureau survey. The Covid-19 relief bill signed into law earlier this month provides $21.5 billion in emergency rental assistance though it could take time for the money to get to those who need it.
March 29, 202107:51
The prohibitions on eviction of renters by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was first put in place in September with public health officials arguing it was needed to help stop the spread of Covid-19 in congregate settings, like homeless shelters. Biden extended to moratorium in January shortly after taking office through the end of March.
The moratorium applies to single renters making $99,000 or less and couples earning less than $198,000 who must declare they can’t pay for rent because of Covid-19 related hardships and will become homeless if evicted.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
