Biden will allow suspension of expulsion to expire on Saturday

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BOSTON (AFP) – The Biden administration announced Thursday that it will allow a nationwide eviction ban to expire on Saturday, arguing that its hands are tied after the Supreme Court indicated it would only extend until the end of the month.

The White House said President Joe Biden would have liked to extend the federal eviction moratorium due to the spread of the highly contagious type of delta. Instead, Biden called on “Congress to extend the moratorium on evictions to protect vulnerable renters and their families without delay.”

The moratorium was imposed last September by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“Given the recent spread of the delta variant, including among Americans who are likely to face evictions and lack vaccinations, President Biden would have strongly supported the CDC’s decision to extend this eviction moratorium to protect renters in this increasingly vulnerable moment,” he said. The White House said in a statement: “Unfortunately, the Supreme Court has made it clear that this option is no longer available.”

The court mustered a 5-4 majority last month, to allow the eviction ban to continue through the end of July. Justice Brett Kavanaugh, one of those in the majority, made it clear that he would block any additional extensions unless there was “a clear and specific mandate from Congress.”

By the end of March, 6.4 million American families were behind on their rent payments, according to the Department of Housing and Urban Development. As of July 5, nearly 3.6 million people in the United States said they would face eviction in the next two months, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey.

Dr. Rochelle Wallinsky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said in June that this would be the last time the moratorium would be extended when she set the deadline for July 31. – 19 by people who were put down in the streets and shelters.

Housing advocates and some lawmakers have called for an extension of the moratorium due to the increase in coronavirus cases and the fact that little rental assistance has been distributed.

Congress has appropriated nearly $47 billion in rent assistance which is supposed to go to help renters pay months-overdue rent but so far, only about $3 billion of the first payment of $25 billion has been distributed during June by states and localities. Some states like New York distributed almost nothing, while many only approved a few million dollars.

“The confluence of a growing delta variable with the 6.5 million families who are behind on rent and at risk of eviction when the deferral period ends requires immediate action,” said Diane Yentel, executive director of the National Coalition on Low-Income Housing.

“The public health imperative to provide extended protection to tenants is clear. If federal court cases make a broad extension impossible, the Biden administration should implement all possible alternatives, including a more limited ban on federally backed property.”

The problem of getting rental assistance for those who need it has prompted the Biden administration to hold several events in the past month aimed at pressuring states and cities to increase its distribution, persuade landlords to participate and make it easier for renters to get cash directly.

Assistant Attorney General Vanita Gupta also issued an open letter to state courts across the country encouraging them to pursue procedures that would keep eviction cases out of court. On Wednesday, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau unveiled a tool that allows tenants to find information about rent assistance in their area.

Despite these efforts, some Democratic lawmakers have called on the administration to extend the moratorium.

This pandemic is no longer behind us, and our federal housing policies must reflect this stark reality. With the United States facing the most serious eviction crisis in its history, our local and state governments still need more time to distribute critical rent aid to help keep a roof over our voters’ heads,” US Representatives Democrat Corey Bush of Missouri, said Jimmy Gomez of California. and Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts in a joint statement.

But the landlords, who opposed the stay and repeatedly challenged it in court, opposed any extension. They argued that the focus should be on accelerating the distribution of rental assistance.

This week, the National Condominium Association and several others this week filed a federal lawsuit seeking $26 billion in damages over the impact of the moratorium.

Bob Bennigar, President and CEO, Bob Bennigar, President and CEO, said the NAA “has long considered halting evictions to be fundamentally flawed policies, leaving tenants saddled with insurmountable debt and rental housing providers infrequently holding the bag fair despite unprecedented efforts to keep their residents in shelter over the past 18 months.” from the NAA, in a statement.

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Associated Press Supreme Court correspondent Mark Sherman contributed from Washington.

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