When the new eviction moratorium went into effect, it was relief for tens of thousands of Michiganders. But while it staved off homelessness, it’s only temporary.
The new order only lasts until Oct. 3 and is only in place in counties with substantial or high community spread. Right now, that’s 46 counties statewide.
More: CDC issues new eviction ban for most of US through Oct. 3
But it puts renters hoping to avoid eviction in a tight spot. If spread drops and stays below those categories, their moratorium would be lifted.
“Let’s remember again the foundation of this order, which is to protect everyone’s health because we do know that evictions lead to an increased in incidence of COVID-19. So there’s benefit here for everyone,” said Jim Scaafsma, housing attorney with the Michigan Poverty Law Program.
Attorneys said as renters wait to see what happens, they need to look into the COVID Emergency Rental Assistance, also called CERA. Michigan currently has $500 million for renters and landords waiting to be distributed.
“The money is there waiting to be dispersed, so with a little patience, this program will benefit both tenants and landlords,” Scaafsma said.
Read: Deep dive: How homelessness impacts Michigan families
Biden’s new evictions moratorium faces legality doubts
President Joe Biden may have averted a flood of evictions and solved a growing political problem when his administration reinstated a temporary ban on evictions because of the COVID-19 crisis. But he left his lawyers with legal arguments that even he acknowledges might not stand up in court.
The new eviction moratorium announced Tuesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention could run into opposition at the Supreme Court, where one justice in late June warned the administration not to act further without explicit congressional approval.
Landlords from Alabama whose bid to lift the earlier pause on evictions failed returned to federal court in Washington late Wednesday, asking for an order that would allow evictions to resume.