Apartment industry groups expressed disappointment Tuesday over the federal government’s enactment of a nationwide eviction moratorium that doesn’t include provisions for rental and unemployment assistance. The sweeping order stemming from the pandemic, in effect through Dec. 31 and covering all 43 million U.S. residential renters, was announced by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“An eviction moratorium will ultimately harm the very people it aims to help by making it impossible for housing providers, particularly small owners, to meet their financial obligations and continue to provide shelter to their residents,” said Doug Bibby, president of the National Multifamily Housing Council.
“Not only does an eviction moratorium not address renters’ real financial needs, a protracted eviction moratorium does nothing to address the financial pressures and obligations of rental property owners,” Bibby continued. “Without mortgage forbearance protections and protections from other property-level financial obligations such as property taxes, insurance payments, and utility service, the stability of the entire rental housing sector is thrown into question.”
At the National Apartment Association, president and CEO Bob Pinnegar said, “This action risks creating a cascade that will further harm the economy, amplify the housing affordability crisis and destroy the rental housing industry.”
