New eviction moratorium offers some relief for renters

I am pleased by today’s COVID-19 related announcement by the federal government that a moratorium on evictions will be in place through the end of the year. The measure will cover those tenants who can attest to a substantial loss of household income, the inability to pay full rent and best efforts to pay partial rent.

The moratorium – moved forward by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – does not absolve tenants of rent payment obligations, but it will help stop the spread of the virus by avoiding having renters wind up in shelters or other crowded living conditions (where the COVID-19 crisis could be compounded).

The moratorium would go further than the CARES Act eviction ban, which covered as many as 12.3 million renters in apartment complexes or single-family homes financed with federally backed mortgages. That provision expired in July, though landlords could not begin eviction proceedings for 30 days.

In Milwaukee, this is very welcome news, as we have seen a surge in evictions in the weeks since the CARES Act moratorium expired.

Under the new moratorium, tenants must also stipulate that eviction would be likely to render them homeless or force them to live with others at close quarters. Forms will be available on the C.D.C. website once the order is published in the Federal Register.