The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a new moratorium on eviction by October 3, as the US administration seeks to soften criticism from progressives that it has allowed eviction of residents in harsh conditions during the pandemic.
The moratorium announced on Tuesday could help millions of people continue to stay in their homes, at a time when the delta variant is spreading and states have not acted swiftly to distribute aid. The measure bans evictions from homes in municipalities with “significant and high levels” of the virus, which represents the area where 90% of the US population lives.
The move represents a change of heart from the current administration, which over the weekend allowed the previous moratorium to expire, saying its extension was not allowed based on a Supreme Court ruling. This caused a deep rift between the White House and progressive Democrats, who insist the federal government should do more to help the estimated 3.6 million Americans not lose their homes during this period.
In comments Tuesday from the White House, President Biden said he had asked the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to weigh the options. But it seemed the president was not entirely convinced that the moratorium would resist lawsuits over constitutionality, saying he had sought the opinion of experts on legality.
The president added that even if the moratorium is challenged in lawsuits, it will still give states and municipalities some extra time to activate billions of dollars in aid to their residents at risk of eviction.
Administration officials had previously said the Supreme Court had not allowed them to impose a new moratorium without the support of Congress. When the Supreme Court allowed the extension of the previous moratorium in July, Judge Brett Kavanaugh wrote that further extensions required act by Congress.
But on Tuesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention cited the slow pace of aid distribution at the municipal level as the reason for the new moratorium.
President Biden insists that states have sufficient amounts of federal aid to be used by local authorities to help people in need.
