On Tuesday September 1st, the day rent was due for thousands of Ohioans, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued an order temporarily halting evictions from September 1 to December 31 2020 to prevent the spread of COVID-19:
“In the context of a pandemic, eviction moratoria—like quarantine, isolation, and social distancing—can be an effective public health measure utilized to prevent the spread of communicable disease. Eviction moratoria facilitate self-isolation by people who become ill or who are at risk for severe illness from COVID-19 due to an underlying medical condition. They also allow State and local authorities to more easily implement stay-at-home and social distancing directives to mitigate the community spread of COVID-19. Furthermore, housing stability helps protect public health because homelessness increases the likelihood of individuals moving into congregate settings, such as homeless shelters, which then puts individuals at higher risk to COVID-19.The ability of these settings to adhere to best practices, such as social distancing and other infection control measures, decreases as populations increase. Unsheltered homelessness also increases the risk that individuals will experience severe illness from COVID-19.”
This federal moratorium is an important immediate step that will save a lot of families in the short run. However, we will be living with this virus for a long time and need a long term solution. Accrued rent will still be due January 1, 2021—during the typical flu season and the coldest months of the year. The order issued from the CDC is also overly complex and likely to be tied up in litigation.
Emergency rental assistance on both the federal and state level continues to be a critical component for families out of work. AOF and our partners continue to advocate for $100 billion in rental assistance at the federal level and $100 million in already received CARES Act funding at the state level to help families reduce their accrued rent.
Read more from our partners at COHHIO HERE