Sign up for our newsletter.

Quality journalism. Progressive values. Direct to your inbox.

Follow us:

THIS ISN’T A PAYWALL

Common Dreams will never be locked behind a paywall because we believe our journalism should remain freely available to everyone ― not just those who can afford to pay. By becoming a sustaining monthly donor today, you can help make sure our work remains free for those who aren't able to chip in.

To donate by check, phone, or other method, see our More Ways to Give page.

A constable in Maricopa County, Arizona serves an eviction notice.

A Maricopa County constable serves a court eviction order at an apartment on September 30, 2020 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo: John Moore/Getty Images)

AOC, Housing Advocates Slam 'Reckless' Biden Plan to Allow Evictions to Resume

The CDC's moratorium on evictions is set to expire on July 31.

Julia Conley

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was among several critics on Friday who warned that the Biden administration's plan to allow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's eviction moratorium to expire on July 31 would have devastating consequences for millions of renters as well as threatening public health as Covid-19 cases surge.
 
President Joe Biden extended the moratorium by one month in June but has shown no signs that he plans to do the same this month. 
 
According to U.S. Treasury Department data, dozens of jurisdictions across the country have yet to start distributing assistance funds for renters that were appropriated in March as part of the American Rescue Plan Act.
 
"It is reckless not to extend the deadline when rental assistance funds have not gone out fast enough to protect people," said Ocasio-Cortez on Friday. "Eviction filings have already spiked in anticipation of the deadline being lifted."
 
According to analysis by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities released this week, 11.4 million renters—or one in seven—are behind on rent payments. Advocates say about six million are at risk of promptly losing their homes if the eviction moratorium is not extended at the end of July.
 
According to Paul Williams, a fellow at the Jain Family Institute, about 80% of those six million people "live in counties with rapid, Delta variant-driven [Covid-1] case growth."
 
Though the Biden administration has not signaled that it plans to extend aid for renters, the White House on Friday announced it will allow homeowners with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac-backed mortgages to delay their payments until September, a measure that will help 1.8 million people in forebearance. 
 
Diane Yentel, president and CEO of the National Low Income Housing Coalition, called on Biden to provide more assistance to renters as well.
 
"The CDC eviction moratorium is a necessary public health measure to lessen spread of [and] deaths from Covid-19," Yentel said. "The need clearly remains as Delta surges."
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Comments

We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.

To donate by check, phone, or other method, see our More Ways to Give page.

Related

Latest News

See all

Indignation as Michigan Judge Drops Flint Water Charges Against GOP Ex-Gov Snyder

"The people of Flint deserve justice—and it's unacceptable that the people responsible for Flint's water crisis aren't being held accountable," said Food & Water Watch in response to the development.

Brett Wilkins ·

Railroad workers

70+ Lawmakers Tell Biden 'You Can and You Must' Provide Rail Workers Paid Sick Leave

"As president, you and your administration have a number of tools at your disposal to make sure rail workers are guaranteed paid sick leave," wrote the lawmakers.

Julia Conley ·

COP15 Indigenous presser

COP15 Biodiversity Summit Highlights 'Deadly' US Attitude Toward the World

"While others play by the rules, the most powerful nation refuses," writes George Monbiot. "If this country were a person, we'd call it a psychopath. As it is not a person, we should call it what it is: a rogue state."

Jessica Corbett ·

Birx Trump Fauci

Final House Covid Panel Report Exposes 'Reckless' Trump Pandemic Response

The publication accuses top Trump officials of "failed stewardship" and a "persistent pattern of political interference" that undermined the nation's response to a pandemic that has killed more than a million people in the United States.

Brett Wilkins ·

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) talks to reporters in the U.S. Capitol on December 1, 2022 in Washington, D.C.

As NYT Staffers Strike, Sanders Calls for 'New Ways to Empower' Workers Battling Industry Giants

"We need to rebuild and protect a diverse and truly independent press so that real journalists and media workers can do the critical jobs that they love, and that a functioning democracy requires," said the Vermont progressive.

Kenny Stancil ·

Common Dreams Logo

To donate by check, phone, or other method, see our More Ways to Give page.