With eviction moratoria expiring, we need permanent housing solutions

With the looming expiration date of the federal moratorium on evictions, author Jaboa Lake explains why lawmakers must invest in robust, permanent solutions to ensure that everyone has access to the fundamental right of housing.

The federal eviction moratorium is set to expire in just a few days, on July 31. Many cities and states have already begun to phase out housing protections set in place during the COVID-19 pandemic. Rental assistance programs are struggling to disperse aid, while renters continue to fall behind. But it’s clear that the COVID-19 crisis and the housing affordability crisis that pre-dated the pandemic are not over yet. Lifting protections for renters is premature and will likely create the worst national eviction crisis in U.S. history.

Renters have been strung along during the pandemic by unreliable protections and aid, and overall renter confidence in being able to pay rent and stay housed remains low. At both local and federal levels, piecemeal actions that provide protections and aid have often been decided or extended at the 11th hour, leaving no time for renters to prepare and no clarity on whether they will be able to maintain housing or have just a few days before being kicked out of their home.

The above excerpt was originally published in The Hill. Click here to view the full article.

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