The Biden Administration declared on Thursday, June 24th that it would extend the temporary bans on evictions and foreclosures until July 31st, 2021, as the country continued to rebound from the coronavirus pandemic which has rendered millions of tenants unable to make rent payments due to pandemic-related economic hardships. Just before July ended, President Joe  Biden called on Congress to extend the eviction moratorium. The Supreme court allowed the order issued by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to stay in place. Today,  we’re here to present to you the latest update as there’s been an extension in the Eviction Moratorium and what this means for our country now.

The COVID-19 pandemic is a historic and global public health threat. The introduction of the  Delta variant has increased the number of COVID-19 cases across the country. As a result, the  CDC has extended the moratorium to October 3, 2021, to prevent further spreading. This order applies to counties experiencing “high or substantial” COVID-19 transmissibility rates, which includes all five boroughs of the city as well as several other New York counties.

Coverage under the CDC Declaration now requires the following criteria:

  • Any persons or household whose anticipated income was less than $99,000 in 2020 (joint $198,000), received a stimulus check, or were not required to report income to the IRS in 2019;
  • Any persons or household unable to pay full rent due to an income loss or “extraordinary” medical bills;
  • Any persons or household who have used best efforts to make timely partial rent payments and are as close to making the full rent payment;
  • Any persons or household for whom an eviction would render them homeless or forced to “live in close quarters” in a new congregate or shared living setting; and
  • Any persons or household residing in a U.S. County experiencing substantial or high rates of community transition levels as defined by CDC.

New York State residents have currently protected from evictions thanks to a state moratorium that runs through August 31st. Tenant advocates called on legislators in Albany to come back from summer recess to extend the state moratorium beyond August 31st. However, in light of the  CDC’s federal extension, such actions may not be necessary unless legislators freeze evictions in parts of the state where COVID-19 transmissibility rates are not spiking.

The emergence of the delta variant has led to a rapid acceleration of community transmissions, putting more Americans at increased risk, especially if they are unvaccinated. As a reminder, the eviction moratorium is for the millions of tenants unable to make rent payments because jobs shifted, and they became financially unstable. This latest extension is supposed to be the last.

The Law Offices of Marjory Cajoux will keep you informed of the resources available during these challenging times as more information becomes available. We are ready and committed to providing you with the best possible service and support in the areas of immigration, real estate, estate, business planning, and personal injury (WTC claims).

Additional Resources: 

CDC Issues Eviction Moratorium Order in Areas of Substantial and High Transmission

The CDC extending the federal eviction moratorium is expected to cover about 90% of renters