CDC's Eviction Moratorium Extended

[Updated March 31, 2021] "The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention extended its federal moratorium on eviction for non-payment of rent until June 30," reports Anna Bahney.

"It marks the third time the deadline for lifting the ban has been pushed back. The CDC's order first went into effect in September and initially was set to expire at the end of 2020. But then in December, the protection was extended until January 31. As one of his first acts in office, President Joe Biden called on the CDC to extend the ban until March 31."

Bahney also notes that $50 billion in federal relief money has been approved for renters in the past two federal stimulus packages—the first while Donald Trump was still in office and the second the most recent American Rescue Plan Act.

Despite various eviction moratoria in place by the CDC and local and state governments around the country, many renters are still being evicted and renters are racking up debt that still threatens to destabilize the housing market and the larger economy. A Moody's Analytics report from January 2021 estimated that the nation's renters owed an estimated $57 billion in back rent.

The CDC has lost two recent court cases over the enforceability of the eviction moratorium, although both court decisions stopped short of repealing the moratorium. The U.S. Department of Justice is appealing both rulings.