White House, Under Pressure, Extends Eviction Ban At Least Until Oct. 3
Under the Biden administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a renewed eviction moratorium that will last at least until October. After letting the previous ruling lapse, the White House had been under pressure to protect people from losing their homes as the pandemic continues.
AP:
CDC Issues New Eviction Ban For Most Of US Through Oct. 3
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a new eviction moratorium that would last until Oct. 3, as the Biden administration sought to quell intensifying criticism from progressives that it was allowing vulnerable renters to lose their homes during a pandemic. The ban announced Tuesday could help keep millions in their homes as the coronavirus’ delta variant has spread and states have been slow to release federal rental aid. It would temporarily halt evictions in counties with “substantial and high levels” of virus transmissions and would cover areas where 90% of the U.S. population lives. (Boak, Mascaro and Lemire, 8/4)
The Washington Post:
CDC Announces New Eviction Plan After Backlash From Democrats
The 19-page order lists criminal penalties including fines and jail time if someone is found to have violated the eviction moratorium. The Biden administration had previously said it had no legal authority to extend a separate national eviction moratorium that lapsed over the weekend. A statement from CDC Director Rochelle Walensky on Tuesday evening pointed to the emergence of the delta variant and said “it is imperative that public health authorities act quickly to mitigate such an increase of evictions, which could increase the likelihood of new spikes in SARS-CoV-2 transmission.” (Stein, Pager, Min Kim and Romm, 8/3)
CBS News:
CDC Issues New Eviction Moratorium
"The emergence of the delta variant has led to a rapid acceleration of community transmission in the United States, putting more Americans at increased risk, especially if they are unvaccinated," CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said Tuesday. "This moratorium is the right thing to do to keep people in their homes and out of congregate settings where COVID-19 spreads." The latest moratorium order could face legal challenges, after the Supreme Court determined the Biden administration couldn't extend the previous moratorium eviction through executive action. As the latest eviction moratorium was about to end last week, the White House told Congress to act, while Congress called on the White House to act. The White House said it lacked the authority to extend the moratorium. (Cordes, 8/3)
ABC News:
After Biden Proposes, CDC Issues New 60-Day Eviction Moratorium
Under heavy pressure from progressive Democrats to extend the eviction moratorium as millions of Americans faced being forced out of their homes, President Joe Biden on Tuesday said his administration would announce a new "safety valve" action. Shortly afterward, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued an order barring evictions for 60 days in counties with "substantial and high levels" of community transmission. (Gomez, Khan, and Cheyenne, 8/3)
Politico:
Cori Bush Steers Progressives To Win On Eviction Crisis
Cori Bush arrived in Congress as an heir to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Now the political neophyte is coming into her own. Bush has led a one-woman protest on the Capitol steps over the last several days that forced the eviction crisis to the top of the nation's agenda even after the House left town without taking action on the issue. Under intense pressure from the left, President Joe Biden on Tuesday afternoon announced a short-term fix to prevent millions of families from losing their homes despite questioning the constitutionality of doing so. (Wu, Caygle and Ferris, 8/3)
Politico:
State, Local Aid Bottlenecks Leave Renters Exposed
An attempt by House Democrats and the Biden administration to push governors and mayors to accelerate the release of billions of dollars in rental aid is meeting a harsh reality: Most localities are ill-equipped for the moment. Among the problems that states and cities face: Untested new infrastructure rife with red tape, local officials’ fears of being singled out for awarding funds to the wrong people and the fact that millions of tenants and landlords do not even know about the emergency rental assistance program, much less how to apply for it. (O'Donnell, 8/3)
