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White House announces new initiatives to prevent evictions

ShutterstockEviction.png
Posted at 12:50 PM, Aug 02, 2021
and last updated 2021-08-02 15:42:44-04

WASHINGTON, D.C. — WASHINGTON, D.C.- Days after facing backlash for letting the eviction moratorium expire, the Biden administration announced it will take action to prevent Americans from being forced out of their homes.

It is calling on all states and localities to extend or put in place eviction moratoriums for at the least the next two months.

The White House says states have received $46.5 billion to protect millions of Americans facing rental debt and eviction during the pandemic.

To make sure states use the money to prevent evictions, the administration is examining why state and local governments have failed to distribute rental assistance that was approved by Congress.

The Centers for Disease Control's (CDC) eviction moratorium expired at the end of July.

It expired at the end of July.

Gene Sperling, who is overseeing COVID-19 relief spending, said the president urged the CDC to look into legal avenues that would allow it to reinstate the moratorium. So far, it hasn't found any.

The Supreme Court indicated, in a ruling, that a bill would need to be passed to extend it an additional time.

The Democratic leadership in the U.S. House issued a statement that called on the Biden administration to extend the moratorium through Oct. 18.

“It is clear that the Senate is not able to [extend the ban], and any legislation in the House, therefore, will not be sufficient,” the Democratic leadership said.