Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin

(107,111 posts)
Sat Jul 4, 2020, 12:34 PM Jul 2020

'Eviction crisis': Housing advocates fear waves of homelessness as moratoriums expire

The crippling economic effects of the coronavirus pandemic could force a wave of evictions across the United States as a federal ban and a patchwork of state moratoriums quickly expire, fair housing advocates and legal experts warned.

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security, or CARES, Act that Congress passed in March provided a temporary moratorium on evictions, but it was for a fraction of the nation’s tenants and some homeowners — applying to those in federally subsidized housing or in housing with federally-backed mortgages. That is set to expire within the next month.

This has left courts and local governments in many places to create a patchwork of policies and ever-changing guidance around evictions, creating greater uncertainty and confusion amid the coronavirus pandemic.

At the height of the pandemic, 42 states and the District of Columbia had statewide moratoriums on evictions in place, covering millions of renters, but presently, a little more than a dozen states have some kind of eviction protections in place, Emily Benfer, a law professor at Wake Forest University, said.

"So now, less than half the country is covered by an eviction moratorium that isn't federal in nature," she said. "And as the unemployment insurance expires at the end of July, along with the majority of the remaining eviction moratoriums, we can expect to see a severe eviction crisis in the United States."

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/eviction-crisis-housing-advocates-fear-waves-of-homelessness-as-moratoriums-expire/ar-BB16k7tn?li=BBnb7Kz

19 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
'Eviction crisis': Housing advocates fear waves of homelessness as moratoriums expire (Original Post) Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin Jul 2020 OP
And the republicans refuse to extend the $600 unemployment when MILLIONS are still out of work. BComplex Jul 2020 #1
Because it shouldn't be extended Calculating Jul 2020 #3
That's bassackwards. The people working SHOULD be making more than they're making. BComplex Jul 2020 #4
+1 Cal Carpenter Jul 2020 #8
I understand what you are saying but I think a better approach would be to be sure that totodeinhere Jul 2020 #5
I'm sure those people staying at home onethatcares Jul 2020 #15
I'm fine with extending the benefits at a lower number Calculating Jul 2020 #18
There was a Republican amendment voted down that would have capped UE at 100% of a person's wages Massacure Jul 2020 #19
And the problem is that most of those moratoriums do not cancel either rent or mortgage payments. totodeinhere Jul 2020 #2
I understand how they can make people pay for back mortgage payments MichMan Jul 2020 #9
They could try to move but if they skip out owing back rent they might have trouble totodeinhere Jul 2020 #10
Anyone behind now is likely going to be evicted when the prohibition is eventually lifted madville Jul 2020 #11
Sad but true. We definitely need more government intervention in this area. totodeinhere Jul 2020 #16
Friends i Denver and LA have told me that there are already hundreds of people living in the streets randr Jul 2020 #6
I had no idea! Where is the reporting indeed!! Rachel Maddow has a web site where we can report BComplex Jul 2020 #12
And of course the homeless may find it difficult to socially distance so covi-19 is running totodeinhere Jul 2020 #17
Republicans I_UndergroundPanther Jul 2020 #7
Hear! Hear! BComplex Jul 2020 #13
You are welcome BComplex I_UndergroundPanther Jul 2020 #14

BComplex

(7,984 posts)
1. And the republicans refuse to extend the $600 unemployment when MILLIONS are still out of work.
Sat Jul 4, 2020, 01:01 PM
Jul 2020

That will not be forgotten come election day. Many many people are not going to be able to go back to work by the end of July....there's no work to go to for a great many. And the older Americans, anyone over about 50, can't get hired anyway because ageism is so extensive in the job market.

Calculating

(2,954 posts)
3. Because it shouldn't be extended
Sat Jul 4, 2020, 01:08 PM
Jul 2020

It's absolutely insane for people staying at home to make more than I make working near full time at $20 an hour. Maybe they should extend it but drop the amount to $300 extra per week. Working should always pay more than unemployment or it's really demoralizing to those who are working.

BComplex

(7,984 posts)
4. That's bassackwards. The people working SHOULD be making more than they're making.
Sat Jul 4, 2020, 01:10 PM
Jul 2020

That's the battleground to die on; NOT taking rent and food money out of the pockets of people who can't get work.

totodeinhere

(13,037 posts)
5. I understand what you are saying but I think a better approach would be to be sure that
Sat Jul 4, 2020, 01:11 PM
Jul 2020

everybody including you gets paid a fair living wage in the first place. Just how to accomplish that I am not sure but that should be our goal.

onethatcares

(16,133 posts)
15. I'm sure those people staying at home
Sat Jul 4, 2020, 04:08 PM
Jul 2020

are having a blast. Hell, it's 4th of July and congress is on vacation with the senate leader saying any type of extension of benefits is out of the question due to budgetary concerns from what I heard last. Meanwhile there are folks that are getting desperate,

The entire unemployment compensation system wasn't set up for 45,000,000 people to lose their job at the same time and not to know when and if they will ever go back to work. Hell, floriduh, where I am, still hasn't paid claims to some from the initial March layoff or furlough. How long do you think people can hang on.

The $600.00 extra seems extreme but it was a number that got adopted. How/why, I don't know but we are supposedly the wealthiest country in the world and if we can't alleviate the pain of the citizens, it's gonna get a lot worse.

I would feel a lot better if some kind of plan was being mentioned by our government instead of silence.

Calculating

(2,954 posts)
18. I'm fine with extending the benefits at a lower number
Sat Jul 4, 2020, 08:01 PM
Jul 2020

$600 extra a month is simply too high. The $600 alone is equal to 40 hours a week at $15, in addition to their normal UE benefits. I'd be totally fine if it was toned down to $300 or something where it would cover the bare essentials, I just don't like how people are making more than they made working. Do people even realize what this is doing to our national debt and inflation? Just look at the stock market, things are all sky high in a freakin pandemic because there's too much easy money floating around chasing after too few stocks.

The part about being 'the wealthiest country in the world' is basically untrue. Our whole economy is a house of cards being propped up by the FED with their free money and 0% interest rates, and everybody thinks it's fine because the NASDAQ is at record levels due to people buying unprofitable companies up to nosebleed valuations.

Massacure

(7,498 posts)
19. There was a Republican amendment voted down that would have capped UE at 100% of a person's wages
Sat Jul 4, 2020, 08:51 PM
Jul 2020

I don't often agree with Republicans, but that seemed like one proposal that made sense.

totodeinhere

(13,037 posts)
2. And the problem is that most of those moratoriums do not cancel either rent or mortgage payments.
Sat Jul 4, 2020, 01:07 PM
Jul 2020

All they do is prohibit evictions and foreclosures for the time being. They only postpone rent or mortgage payments but they do not cancel them. So you will eventually have get caught up with your payments or you could find yourself out on the street. So this can place a real hardship on someone who has been out of work due to no fault of their own and trying to get back on their feet. And that extra $600 weekly unemployment insurance benefit is also running out and the Republicans do not want to extend it.

MichMan

(11,790 posts)
9. I understand how they can make people pay for back mortgage payments
Sat Jul 4, 2020, 02:29 PM
Jul 2020

by just adding them on to the back end.

How can they force anyone to make up missed rents ? Wouldn't people just move somewhere else?

totodeinhere

(13,037 posts)
10. They could try to move but if they skip out owing back rent they might have trouble
Sat Jul 4, 2020, 02:41 PM
Jul 2020

passing the background check that most landlords require when they are looking for a new place. And they would take a big hit on their credit score. And doing that would be unethical, especially if your landlord depends on your rent payment to make their mortgage payment on the apartment or house. Many landlords are small operations that depend on timely rent payments to stay above water.

And regarding mortgages, it depends on the fine print. In some cases it could be tacked on the end but in other cases you might only have a short period of time to get caught up or you could face foreclosure.

madville

(7,397 posts)
11. Anyone behind now is likely going to be evicted when the prohibition is eventually lifted
Sat Jul 4, 2020, 03:00 PM
Jul 2020

So the question is not "if" but "when" their landlords can finally evict them for nonpayment. In parts of California and New York, some renters are already over $10,000 in arrears since this started, most will not be able to catch that up when the evictions are allowed again.

totodeinhere

(13,037 posts)
16. Sad but true. We definitely need more government intervention in this area.
Sat Jul 4, 2020, 06:00 PM
Jul 2020

Perhaps a program offering interest-free government loans to help people get caught up would work. Then stretch out the payments over a long period of time. And possibly offer incentives that might under some circumstances offer loan forgiveness.

randr

(12,408 posts)
6. Friends i Denver and LA have told me that there are already hundreds of people living in the streets
Sat Jul 4, 2020, 01:17 PM
Jul 2020

Downtown Denver has blocks of plastic lean-to's covering sidewalks with families living inside.
Where is the reporting?

BComplex

(7,984 posts)
12. I had no idea! Where is the reporting indeed!! Rachel Maddow has a web site where we can report
Sat Jul 4, 2020, 03:20 PM
Jul 2020

things she might want to have her team look into. I can't remember what the URL is right now, but some other DUers should know.

Please report what you know about this, and if possible, give her team contact information for someone who can move this news along.

totodeinhere

(13,037 posts)
17. And of course the homeless may find it difficult to socially distance so covi-19 is running
Sat Jul 4, 2020, 06:01 PM
Jul 2020

rampant among the homeless in many places.

I_UndergroundPanther

(12,452 posts)
7. Republicans
Sat Jul 4, 2020, 02:20 PM
Jul 2020

Hate poor people and hate the working class. We should not be fighting over who gets what, job loss due to the pandemic isn't
'laziness' . The stupid Puritan work ethic some people pull out thier ass to justify who deserves is what republicans want us to think about our fellow human beings. Either we all prosper and have well being or no one does. Hence the part about the general welfare..in the consitution

Latest Discussions»General Discussion»'Eviction crisis': Housin...