The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued an order to halt evictions back in 2020, with their latest order extending “the residential eviction ban until at least March 31, 2021.” This is meant to protect individuals and families who are often unable to pay rent currently, especially as unemployment is still high. It also aims at preventing new COVID-19 infections, as moving into shared living spaces or simply relocating is a higher-risk activity. However, this order has not proved helpful for all tenants.
Several criticisms arise from the CDC order. Renters are often unaware of the details about it, do not know how to act on it, and usually do not have an attorney (while about 90% of landlords do) Some landlords are completely dismissing the CDC’s order, and these landlords’ fines for ignoring the order are often not enforced. Furthermore, many critics say that there are too many regulations and loopholes– if a renter makes one wrong move, it could pave a one-way path to eviction. In this way, many people are frustrated still by what they say is a power imbalance.
The CDC is meant to protect tenants who have tried their best to obtain government assistance, have a substantial loss of income, are trying their best to pay what they can, and would be forced into homelessness or a shared living setting if they are evicted. These stipulations also aim to protect landlords, by ensuring that each renter is doing their best to pay what they can. For full information on the CDC’s order, visit here.
Here at CIMA Law Group, we invite you to continue to read our news blog, as we post several times a week.
CIMA Law Group Blog 