The effect the pandemic has had on America’s renters, explained

This appeared in The Millennial Source

Eventually, federal protections coming in the form of the CDC agency order gave renters extra room to breathe. Despite these protections, landlords were able to find loopholes in the language of the order and thousands were still evicted.

As increasing numbers of Americans found themselves laid off as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, many started to worry about how they’d manage to keep paying their rent. Eventually, the Trump administration announced that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) signed an agency order temporarily halting evictions.

These protections for renters ran from September 4, 2020 until December (though it was later extended into January).

When the Biden administration took over in January, it looked to continue protections for those who had lost their jobs and extend protections for renters further into March as part of the US$1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package. Cities and states also offered emergency rent-assistance programs across the country, making sure their citizens had the shelter they needed. Landlords, however, have been paying the price, with many running late on mortgages, missing payments and failing to repair big-ticket issues due to their financial woes.

Previous renter assistance

Former-President Donald Trump’s original executive order addressing an eviction moratorium actually only ordered regulators to study whether a moratorium would be necessary and if the administration could appropriate money for rental assistance. Most renters, meanwhile, relied on state and local moratoriums around the country in order to stay in their homes.

Eventually, federal protections coming in the form of the CDC agency order gave renters extra room to breathe. Though this temporarily halted evictions, it did not offer money to help people catch up on their bills, nor did it offer landlords any compensation for their loss in revenue. Despite these protections, landlords were able to find loopholes in the language of the order and thousands were still evicted.

In December 2020, Congress worked on a bipartisan package to address the then-expiring…