KEY POINTS
- Some renters in Washington, D.C. are safe from eviction as far as October
- New Yorkers who submit a hardship form to their landlords may get to stay in their homes until September
- A lawyer association in Orange County, Florida, offers legal advice to tenants faced with eviction
- New Jersey renters won’t be evicted by their landlords until January
The federal ban on evictions has come to an end, but some states have gone the extra mile by either extending the moratorium or offering rental funding assistance to eligible residents.
On Friday evening, the House failed to pass legislation that was supposed to extend the federal eviction moratorium. At that time, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said there was “not enough time to socialize it within our caucus as well as to build a consensus necessary,” CNN reported. Congress was asked by the Biden administration to pass an extension only two days before the moratorium’s expiration.
While some states have not passed local laws to extend the moratorium, others opted for an extension, including Washington, D.C., wherein some evictions have been pushed back as far as Oct. 12, CNBC reported. On the other hand, many evictions are due Aug. 26 in the state, but tenants should be given at least a month's notice.
In New York, tenants who either have gone through a COVID-related financial setback or those whose health could be negatively affected by moving out could see their moratoriums extended through September after submitting a hardship form to the landlord.
In Florida, housing advocates have offered alternatives to residents who are faced with eviction starting this week. Senior housing and consumer attorney for the Legal Aid Society of the Orange County Bar Association, Jay Mobley, said one way out is to cooperate with the landlord on a rental assistance plan under legal monitoring, News 13 reported. The association is also offering “free telephonic attorney consultations” for tenants faced with eviction in the county.
So far, New Jersey has had the biggest impact on measures helping renters. The state bans tenants from getting evicted from their homes until Jan. 1, 2022, nj.com reported. However, landlords are still allowed to file eviction cases in court.
Renters who are due for eviction starting this week can still apply for federal aid. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has published a new tool to help tenants apply for rental aid, and the National Low Income Housing Coalition provides a detailed list of programs that offer federal relief.
Here’s what you need to know about accessing the rental aid:
- At least one member of the household has to qualify for unemployment benefits
- People would need to demonstrate a risk of homelessness (documentation such as utility notice or past-due rent notice)
- Applicant’s income level for 2020 should not exceed 80 percent of the residence area’s median income
In states where no law has been passed to extend eviction moratoriums, landlords can begin the eviction process with a notice. Millions are faced with evictions across the U.S., but so far, only around $3 billion of the $45 billion Congress-allocated rental assistance has been disbursed.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., blamed the House Democrats for allowing the eviction moratorium to run out and failing to extend it. She had also called out the Biden administration for waiting until the last minute to ask Congress to extend the eviction moratorium.
A neighborhood of single family homes in Los Angeles -- the expiry of a nationwide US ban on evictions leaves millions at risk of homelessness Photo: AFP / Frederic J. BROWN
