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Leopold tore down his bed and his children’s bunk beds and packed up his things to prepare himself, his wife and their six children for homelessness.
“I was shaking,” said Leopold, who only asked to give his first name because of the stigma associated with the eviction. “But I also had hope that [President Joe] Biden or Congress would come up with something. “
They did it on Tuesday. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has put in place a new eviction moratorium that will protect most renters until at least October 3rd.
This news means that Leopold has more time to secure rental support, find a job, and keep his children in the same school district. “Now I have hope,” he said.
The CDC’s original eviction moratorium, in effect since September, expired on July 31, putting the more than 11 million Americans who remain behind with their rent at risk. Three days later, the health authority announced a new ban that would apply for 60 days in areas where Covid rates remain high.
Tenants need to know that.
How do I know if I qualify?
The new order applies to tenants in areas with “significant” and “high” coronavirus cases. You can check the level of your place of residence on the CDC website. About 80% of the country’s counties should be covered.
You will lose protection if your county has 14 consecutive days covered by these levels, said Emily Benfer, visiting law professor at Wake Forest University.
As a result, she said, “It will be important to monitor Covid rates in your community.”
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To be eligible, you must also meet the requirements of the previous eviction ban, e.g. B. earned less than $ 99,000 in 2020 or 2021.
In addition, you must certify that you got into financial hardship during the corona pandemic, that you applied for rent allowance and that an eviction could lead to homelessness or to doubling.
Do I have to fill out the CDC declaration again?
If you meet the above requirements and have not completed the CDC declaration and made it available to your landlord, you should do so quickly.
However, if you have already done so, protection should transfer and no further action should be taken, Benfer said.
What else am I supposed to do?
Apply for rent allowance.
Congress has provided more than $ 45 billion in rental aid to help manage the crisis, and so far only a fraction of the money has been spent. If the relief is approved, you can cover up to 18 months’ rent.
If you haven’t applied yet, act quickly. This could help you stay in your home longer.
At least four states – Massachusetts, Nevada, New York, and Oregon – temporarily prohibit evictions against people pending rental aid applications.
The National Low Income Housing Coalition has a state listing of the 484 programs that spend the federal money. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau also has a tool to help you apply for a rent reduction.
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