The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a surprising temporary national eviction moratorium on Tuesday that will begin on Sept. 4 and last through the end of the year. This moratorium will protect renters from losing their homes during America’s deadly COVID-19 pandemic. The following is a statement from Kristen Clarke, president and executive director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law:
“We are pleased that the CDC issued this moratorium, which will protect an estimated 30 to 40 million people currently at risk of being evicted. We remain concerned that this temporary moratorium allows landlords to assess late payments and fees and does not provide rental assistance, thus delaying rather than ameliorating the eviction crisis. We will continue to monitor the devastating impact of evictions on low-income communities of color.”
Background:
Unlike the previous CARES Act moratorium which only applied to tenants in federally-assisted properties, Tuesday’s announcement covers tenants living in both private and subsidized housing who are facing eviction due to nonpayment of rent.
The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law recently launched the National Anti-Eviction Project, which recruits and trains pro bono lawyers and law students in select cities to provide direct legal representation to tenants and advocates for local- and state-level policy changes for tenants. We will continue to provide direct representation to both covered and non-covered tenants impacted by the moratorium in completing the paperwork required by the CDC.
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About the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law – The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law (Lawyers’ Committee), a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization, was formed in 1963 at the request of President John F. Kennedy to involve the private bar in providing legal services to address racial discrimination. The principal mission of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law is to secure, through the rule of law, equal justice for all, particularly in the areas of voting rights, criminal justice, fair housing and community development, economic justice, educational opportunities, and hate crimes. For more information, please visit: https://lawyerscommittee.org.
