Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
CDC Bans Residential Evictions Through End Of This Year
USA Today: Trump Administration Announces Nationwide Eviction Moratorium Through End Of The Year
Relying on a public health law intended to prevent the spread of an illness, the Trump administration said Tuesday it is implementing a national four-month moratorium on residential evictions. The moratorium, announced by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, was the latest measure by the administration to get a handle on the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic absent an agreement with Congress on a more far reaching package that would have the force of law. (Fritze and Wu, 9/1)
NPR: CDC Issues Sweeping Temporary Halt On Evictions Nationwide Amid Pandemic
The new eviction ban is being enacted through the Centers for Disease Control. The goal is to stem the spread of the COVID outbreak, which the agency says in it's order, "presents a historic threat to public health." It's by far the most sweeping move yet by the administration to try to head off a looming wave of evictions of people who've lost their jobs or taken a major blow to their income due to the pandemic. Housing advocates and landlord groups both have been warning that millions of people could soon be put out of their homes through eviction if Congress does not do more to help renters and landlords and reinstate expanded unemployment benefits. (Arnold, 9/1)
The Washington Post: Trump Administration Announces Eviction Moratorium, Aiming To Ensure Housing Crisis Doesn’t Further Spread Coronavirus
The new moratorium seeks to cover families experiencing financial hardship as a result of the pandemic, aiming to help as many as 40 million Americans who are already struggling to pay their monthly housing costs in the midst of the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, according to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, who referenced that an action was imminent earlier in the day. The policy comes roughly a month after President Trump signed an executive order tasking the U.S. government, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, with exploring ways to protect renters as talks broke down on Capitol Hill over a new round of coronavirus relief. Brian Morgenstern, a spokesman for the White House, said the goal has been to ensure that families “struggling to pay rent due to the coronavirus will not have to worry about being evicted and risk the further spreading of, or exposure to, the disease.” (Romm, 9/1)
The New York Times: C.D.C. Halts Evictions, Citing Covid-19 Risks
To apply for the new moratorium, tenants will have to attest to a substantial loss of household income, the inability to pay full rent and best efforts to pay partial rent. Tenants must also stipulate that eviction would be likely to leave them homeless or force them to live with others at close quarters. Forms will be available on the C.D.C. website once the order is published in the Federal Register. (9/1)
