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President Joe Biden wants Congress to extend the eviction moratorium. The ban, which stops landlords from evicting tenants that are behind on rent, ends on Saturday.
The President is also calling for the United States Departments of Housing and Urban Development, Agriculture, and Veterans Affairs to extend their eviction ban to the end of September.
“In light of the Supreme Court’s ruling, the President calls on Congress to extend the eviction moratorium to protect such vulnerable renters and their families without delay,” Jen Psaki, White House Press Secretary, said on Thursday, calling the ban on evictions “a critical backstop to prevent hard-pressed renters and their families who lost jobs or income due to the COVID-19 pandemic from being evicted for nonpayment of rent.”
“Given the recent spread of the Delta variants, including among those Americans both most likely to face evictions and lacking vaccinations, President Biden would have strongly supported a decision by the CDC to further extend this eviction moratorium to protect renters at this moment of heightened vulnerability. Unfortunately, the Supreme Court has made clear that this option is no longer available.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that the moratorium is necessary because it will protect renters and prevent the COVID-19 virus from spreading.
Democratic leaders are preparing legislation to extend the eviction moratorium and hope that Republicans do not block it.
“We are talking to our members; we are going to whip an extension through 12/31 and see if there are the votes to pass it. You should ask senators their thoughts on if they are going to pass something,” a senior House Democratic aide told CNN.
A coalition of Realtor groups wants the Supreme Court to block the CDC order because they are losing billions of dollars in unpaid rent.
According to CNN, almost $50 billion has been distributed to help renters pay their rent.
