A federal judge in Washington, D.C. ruled against the President Trump-era moratorium on evictions during the coronavirus lockdown, which was seen as a blow to those struggling to pay rents and a victory for landlords who called out what they saw as government overreach.
Diane Yentel, president of the National Low Income Housing Coalition, told The New York Times that the latest ruling by Judge Dabney Friedrich, who was appointed by Trump, continued the trend by inconsistent court rulings on the matter.
“While this latest ruling is written more starkly than previous ones, it likely has equal limited application impacting only the plaintiffs who brought the case or, at most, renters in the district court’s jurisdiction.”
The Times’ report mentioned that Friedrich’s ruling does not have to be the standard in state housing courts. Landlords who brought the lawsuit claimed that the federal government, which invoked the Public Health Service Act of 1944, does not have the right to interfere in the area.
The report said the act has been effective in keeping evictions down, and there was a 65-percent drop in filings in 2020 compared to the usual rate.
Friedrich wrote in his 20-page ruling that the court was tasked with determining if the act “grants the C.D.C. the legal authority to impose a nationwide eviction moratorium.” He said, “It does not.”
The Times pointed out that Congress just approved $45 billion in housing assistance that may or may not be distributed by the time the moratorium is expected to expire on 30 June.
The Census Bureau reported that 8.2 million renters fell behind on their rent during the outbreak.
Robert Pinnegar, the president of the National Apartment Association, told The Times that the judge’s determination proves the moratorium was “unlawful” in nature and shows “just how far the C.D.C. overstepped their authority.”
TREND FORECAST: Many of those who will be evicted will become homeless. And for those who have lost everything and have nothing left to lose, they will lose it… in many different ways.
What is evident, but has not been reported by the media, is that this catastrophe has devastated many landlords, large and small, who could not pay their mortgages, taxes, insurance, etc. And, now, additionally, many who will be evicted will be out on the streets… this human disaster was created by the politicians who launched the COVID War and destroyed the lives and livelihoods of millions.
