Late Tuesday afternoon, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (“CDC”) filed an order that halts evictions until the end of the year. The order will take effect Friday, September 4.
The order applies to renters who swear under penalty of perjury that the following are true:
- The individual has used best efforts to obtain all available government assistance for rent or housing;
- The individual either (i) expects to earn no more than $99,000 in annual income for Calendar Year 2020 (or no more than $198,000 if filing a joint tax return), (ii) was not required to report any income in 2019 to the U.S. Internal Revenue Service, or (iii) received an Economic Impact Payment (stimulus check) pursuant to Section 2201 of the CARES Act;
- The individual is unable to pay the full rent or make a full housing payment due to substantial loss of household income, loss of compensable hours of work or wages, a lay-off, or extraordinary out-of-pocket medical expenses;
- The individual is using best efforts to make timely partial payments that are as close to the full payment as the individual’s circumstances may permit, taking into account other nondiscretionary expenses; and
- Eviction would likely render the individual homeless— or force the individual to move into and live in close quarters in a new congregate or shared living setting— because the individual has no other available housing options.
It does not apply to evictions for things other than non-payment of rent, and it does not prevent charging late fees.
Needless to say, we are disappointed in this action, especially since it is not coupled with any form of rental assistance to help keep landlords whole.
Please let us know your thoughts
Thanks,
Mike Lautensack