National Updates
Internal Revenue Service
The IRS is partnering with nonprofit organizations, churches, community groups, and others in 12 cities to help eligible families, particularly those who normally do not file a federal tax return, file a 2020 income tax return or register for the monthly Advance Child Tax Credit (AdvCTC) payments using the new Non-filer Sign-up Tool. This tool, an update of last year’s IRS Non-Filers tool, is also designed to help eligible individuals who do not normally file tax returns register for the $1,400 third round of Economic Impact Payments (e.g., stimulus checks) and claim the Recovery Rebate Credit for any amount of the first two rounds of stimulus checks they may have missed. Individuals do not need to have children to sign up for Economic Impact Payments.
Advocacy & Research
The Terner Center on June 18 published a study examining the uneven impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on California renters and the mounting rental arrears facing tenants. The analysis draws on rent payment data for 8,605 households living in affordable housing managed by Eden Housing to demonstrate the precarious financial circumstances facing low-income renters—particularly single-parent families and households of color—since the onset of the pandemic. Read the report here.
The National Center for State Courts released the Eviction Diversion Diagnostic Tool, an online guided interview that allows court leaders to answer a series of questions about their particular jurisdiction and their interest in eviction diversion. By answering a few key questions, court leaders are presented with a take-away document that provides guidance, best practices, and samples from other jurisdictions with a similar profile. The document offers advice on how they might cooperate with legal aid and rental assistance, along with a model eviction diversion program structure that they could implement.
Reporting
Reuters, the Washington Post, and the New York Times reported earlier in the week that the Biden administration was expected to extend the federal eviction moratorium by 30 days and was ramping up efforts aimed at preventing evictions, in particular by speeding the distribution of emergency rental assistance. “Extending the moratorium is the right thing to do—morally, fiscally, politically, and as a continued public health measure,” said NLIHC President and CEO Diane Yentel. “Allowing evictions to proceed when there are tens of billions in resources to prevent them would be wasteful and cruel.” The administration later extended the moratorium.
Pew Stateline says states are preparing for a flood of evictions when the federal eviction moratorium expires. NLIHC’s Diane Yentel had urged the Biden administration to extend the moratorium until emergency rental assistance funds reach all renters and landlords who need it, and the CDC announced on June 24 an extension of the federal eviction moratorium through July 31.
ABC News reports on concerns about a potential wave of evictions as the federal eviction moratorium nears expiration. With a disproportionately large share of those facing evictions or foreclosures being low-income or people of color, this potential housing crisis would exacerbate existing housing inequalities.
NPR reports that Black renters are likely to be hit hard when the federal eviction moratorium expires. Black renters experience eviction at twice the rate of white renters in the U.S., and evidence shows this has been the case during the pandemic as well.
According to CNBC, approximately 800,000 older people may be at risk of eviction when the federal eviction moratorium expires. Difficulty in getting rehired, insufficient retirement savings, and a lack of affordable housing have left many seniors vulnerable to financial shocks, like the one caused by the pandemic.
The New York Times discusses the struggles facing owners of mobile homes amid the pandemic. Many who have struggled to keep up with mortgage payments are at the whim of five financing firms that dominate the mobile home financing market.
State and Local News
California
Governor Gavin Newsom and legislative leaders are negotiating whether to extend California’s eviction protections past June. Extending the eviction moratorium would provide more time to distribute federal emergency rental assistance.
CapRadio discusses how many Californians may be at risk of eviction when the state and federal moratoriums expire. Analysis by PolicyLink suggests that about 900,000 households in California are behind on rent.
Florida
The Orlando Sentinel reports that while the Biden administration is considering a one-month extension of the CDC eviction moratorium (an extension later announced on June 24), Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is not considering enacting another state moratorium. Governor DeSantis allowed the state’s moratorium to expire last fall, saying it was no longer needed due to the CDC order.
Illinois
The Illinois Housing Development Authority stopped accepting applications for the first round of funding through the Illinois Rental Payment Program on June 14. A second round of applications will be accepted from June 28 to July 18.
Maryland
According to the Montgomery County Renters Alliance, around 20,000 county residents could soon be evicted when the federal eviction moratorium expires. ABC 7News learned that the Montgomery County Circuit Court has processed more than 18,000 back rent cases in recent months.
State and federal eviction protections will soon expire in Maryland, and housing advocates are concerned many tenants could lose their homes as courts work through eviction backlogs. Maryland’s state of emergency will end July 1, and after an additional 45-day grace period, the state’s eviction protections will also phase out.
Massachusetts
The Boston Globe reports that more than 100 eviction cases against tenants of Georgetowne Homes, one of Boston’s largest privately run affordable housing complexes, will have long-term ramifications. While most cases have been resolved and dismissed due to renters tapping into federal emergency rental assistance, eviction filings have significant consequences.
Nevada
According to a joint analysis by the Las Vegas Review-Journal and Eric Seymour, an assistant professor at Rutgers University, law enforcement agencies received approximately 450 eviction orders to carry out at Siegel Suites and Siegel Select properties in 2020. Siegel Suites, however, collected over $2 million in federal rental assistance from Clark County, one of the largest amounts received by any landlord in the program’s first round of allocations. The chain of hotel-apartment hybrids, which includes about 4,000 rental units, allows tenants to forgo annual leases and pay by the week for furnished units – making such units one of the few options available to low-income renters who face barriers to obtaining traditional rental housing.
Oregon
Oregon lawmakers passed Senate Bill 278, a bill to protect tenants from eviction for an additional 60 days, as long as they show they have applied for rental assistance. Lawmakers passed legislation earlier this year that gives tenants until 2022 to pay back rent; however, forward rent must be paid on time by July 1, 2021. More than 10,000 people have applied for the latest round of rent assistance, and about 70% of applicants need assistance with their July rent.
As the eviction moratorium nears its expiration, Central Oregon lawyers are seeing a high demand for help from both tenants and landlords.
Vermont
Vermont Public Radio reports Governor Phil Scott’s decision to end the state of emergency will impact housing and food assistance for low-income residents. Senior Vermonters, people with children, and people with disabilities will be allowed to remain in emergency motel housing for at least another three months, but more than 700 people will be forced from their state-funded hotel rooms on July 1. Currently, roughly 2,000 Vermonters are receiving emergency motel vouchers. Secretary of Human Services Mike Smith has said about half of them will lose those vouchers when the eligibility guidelines change.
Washington
Governor Jay Inslee announced the statewide eviction moratorium will be extended one more time to provide a short-term bridge extension for state emergency rental assistance programs to get up and running.
Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan announced on June 18 she is extending the eviction moratorium through September 30, 2021. Executive Order 2021-06 will provide additional tenant protections, including the start of a six-month period in which a renter may claim a defense against eviction for nonpayment if they can demonstrate financial hardship due to COVID-19. Mayor Durkan also prohibited utility shut offs through December 31, 2021. An estimated 86,500 people across the Seattle metro area (about 10% of renters) are behind on their rent.
Guidance
Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
Emergency Solutions Grants – CARES Act (ESG-CV) Page – June 2021
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Interim Guidance on People Experiencing Unsheltered Homelessness – Updated on June 7, 2021