If you are currently out of work and struggling to pay your rent, you are not alone. In the past six months, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused millions of Americans to lose their jobs, rack up expensive medical bills, and face financial insecurity, all of which are making it more and more difficult for renters to afford their housing. According to a Census Bureau survey conducted at the end of August, more than 8 million Americans hadn’t paid last month’s rent, and about 77% reported loss of employment income. After eviction bans expired at the end of July across the country, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a sweeping eviction ban at the beginning of September to help renters remain housed during the pandemic.
The new eviction moratorium allows tenants to present a declaration to their landlord, which can halt the eviction process – that is, if the tenant meets certain criteria.All of these quickly-changing rules and regulations can be hard to keep up with, so we’ve broken down the basics of the CDC’s eviction ban for you.
If you are a tenant who is facing eviction for non-payment of rent, the new eviction moratorium may be able to help you if you meet the following criteria:
- You’ve made your best efforts to obtain government assistance for rent or housing.
- If you’re a single person, you make under $99,000 a year (or under $198,000 if you’re filing as a couple).
- You’re trying to make the payments toward your rent that you can.
- You’re unable to pay your rent because of loss of income, loss of work, or significant out-of-pocket medical expenses.
- Eviction would cause you to become homeless or to move into close shared quarters with other people.
- You understand that you must still make rent.
- You understand that your landlord can ask for all missed payments, and evict you, after the order ends on December 31, 2020.
If a person doesn’t qualify for the eviction ban, that doesn’t automatically guarantee that your landlord will legally be able to evict you. For instance, if a landlord is evicting a tenant because of one or more protected classes, that eviction may violate the Fair Housing Act. The Fair Housing Center for Rights & Research works to ensure that renters in Northeast Ohio are protected from discrimination and able to exercise their fair housing rights. If you or someone you know is facing eviction and you suspect that it is related to your race, color, national origin, sex, disability, familial status, or any other basis that is protected by your local fair housing ordinance, help may be available to you. The Fair Housing Center’s advocates will work to help you determine whether you have experienced discrimination, and support you in exercising your fair housing rights. Because no one should have to be without housing – especially during a pandemic.