The moratorium imposed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which suspended evictions, ends on Sunday in the United States. Estimates show that over 15 million people are in arrears with rent, and their debt is around $ 20 billion.
Legal chaos in the US – millions at risk of eviction
The upcoming midnight end of the moratorium introduced a year ago in connection with the Covid-19 pandemic is the result of legal chaos.
Despite the will of some Democrats, the House of Representatives – which has been taking over a month’s recess since Saturday – has not been able to extend it due to objections from one Republican MP that prevented a vote on Friday.
WATCH TVN24 ON THE INTERNET ON TVN24 GO >>>
Earlier, contrary to expectations and almost at the last minute, President Biden refused to extend tenant protection with the ordinance, calling on Congress to do so. The White House was concerned that the regulation could be invalidated by a Supreme Court ruling, which could further narrow the president’s field of action in the future of the pandemic. As a result of the president’s decision, Congress actually had only one day to pass legislation.
While the Supreme Court recently ruled that the imposition of a moratorium was legal, Judge Brett Kavanaugh stated in the reasoning that the CDC’s decision could not be extended without Congressional approval.
Millions of People at Risk of Eviction in the US – CDC Moratorium Ends
According to the AP agency, 3.6 million people are threatened with eviction in the coming days. A total of 15 million tenants living in 6.5 million households are in arrears with payments totaling $ 20 billion. The expiry of the eviction occurs during a rapidly worsening epidemic related to the spread of the Delta variant.
The protest against the end of the moratorium was launched by Democratic Congresswoman Cori Bush, who had been homeless in the past and had been evicted three times. In protest, Bush spent the night outside the Capitol, sleeping outside in a pull-out chair.
“We are hours away from completely averting a crisis,” Senator Elizabeth Warren said Saturday. She added: – We have the tools and the resources. We just need time.
The White House suggested that a lot depends on the actions of local authorities, which have so far failed to spend the money they have been given to help tenants. So far, the protection of tenants has been additionally extended by the California and New York State authorities.
Main photo source: Jan van Dasler / Shutterstock