The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last September put a nationwide ban on some types of evictions in response to the pandemic. But the moratorium is set to expire next week. Arizona congressmen Ruben Gallego and Raul Grijalva are among dozens of House Democrats asking the CDC to keep protections for renters in place a little longer.
Gallego said the U.S. is making progress against COVID-19, but many families are still struggling.
“Right now we’re approaching a very good point where the economy is recovering, but there’s a lot of people that are not fully recovered right away," Gallego said.
Congress in December approved billions of dollars in rental assistance as part of the American Rescue Plan Act. Gallego said extending the moratorium will buy time to distribute more aid to renters and landlords.
“The housing market is extremely hot right now, so if you are evicted it’s going to be very difficult to find a new place, so I think it’s best that we hold the eviction moratorium, especially considering that there is a lot of rental assistance available for the landlords,” Gallego said.
