To Prevent a Housing Crisis, Renters Need More Than an Eviction Ban

Talks about an eviction crisis have been occurring since the beginning of the pandemic and the housing market has pleaded with Washington for help in the form of funds. Many cities have enacted some sort of rent relief, whether it be for utilities or rentals themselves. Now that the CDC has called for a national eviction moratorium, which protects millions of renters, it does not solve the money issue. Without additional funds in the form of stimulus packages or bonus unemployment, it may be no real help to renters who must front these costs once the moratorium expires, according to The New York Times.

Tenants will still be on the hook for all this unpaid rent when the moratorium expires Dec. 31. And landlords in the meantime may find it increasingly hard to make repairs and cover the mortgage. For this reason, even advocates cheering the moratorium call it a half measure. And landlord groups warn it could destabilize the housing market even more.

“We’re not comfortable with any protracted moratorium, because we just simply don’t agree that is the answer,” said Greg Brown, the senior vice president of government affairs with the National Apartment Association. “We think rental assistance in and of itself is the answer. That said, if this is the approach that’s going to be taken, you absolutely have to have it connected to rental assistance.”

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