Biden-Harris Administration Takes Action to Prevent Evictions
Today, the Biden-Harris took several steps to help renters and homeowners who are struggling amid the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic. It extended the moratoriums on evictions and foreclosures for federally-backed mortgages through July 31 and announced a series of actions to help state and local governments prevent evictions.
“The Biden-Harris Administration’s May 7th guidance has helped state and local governments move more funds to more renters in need. But state and local governments must do better. Money is available in every state to help renters who are behind on rent and at risk of eviction,” according to the White House fact sheet.
The White House highlighted the resources to prevent eviction in the American Rescue Plan, which allocated an additional $21.5 billion for Emergency Rental Assistance on top of the $25 billion allocated under the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021. Together, this funding has created “an economic and moral imperative for state and local governments to rise to the challenge of building a new infrastructure for getting emergency rental assistance to vulnerable renters and landlords,” according to the White House.
The Biden-Harris administration also:
- Urged state and local courts to establish eviction diversion programs;
- Pledged to convene a White House summit of local government, judicial, legal, and community leaders from 50 cities to develop community-specific plans for eviction prevention; and
- Released new guidance to encourage partnerships with courts, help families experiencing homelessness, remove language and cultural barriers to emergency rental assistance, and streamline payment options for landlords.
This is just a brief overview of the administration's initiatives to promote housing stability and prevent evictions, foreclosures, and homelessness. Read the full announcement here.
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