Can You Expect a Rental Assistance? Here's What We Know

Unemployment across the country has been recorded to be above 10 percent and seen to stay there through at least next year. This makes renters even needier of rental assistance.

According to a report, tens of millions of households could be at risk of eviction in the coming month.

Emily A. Benfer, a professor at Wake Forest University School of Law, said that the United States is on the brink of an eviction crisis with unprecedented magnitude.

Renters who did not receive unemployment aid were largely covered by different eviction moratorium, which granted them some relief.

Each week, more than a million laid-off workers are seeking to file for unemployment insurance. Besides, temporary layoffs are becoming permanent job losses.

With this looming threat to renters, authorities have taken measures to their hands to prevent Americans from losing their homes.

One of these initiatives is the announcement of the Trump Administration

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will use its authority to ban residential evictions through the end of the year temporarily.

The moratorium will cover individuals who earn $99,000 or less in 2020. This measure also covers couples who earn $198,000 or less.

Renters who want to be under the new program must validate that they cannot pay their rent because of the pandemic crisis.

Also, renters who also want to be covered by the new program must certify that they will likely become homeless if they are forced to leave their homes.

CDC also orders that renters covered by this program will also have to certify that they are paying as much rent as they can afford.

Aside from that, top Democrats officials also called on the passage of a measure that will funnel funds on rental assistance programs.

This measure was said to help Americans stay in their homes amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Around 40 million people were believed to be homeless in the U.S if proper measures are not taken.

"The rent is due today, but too many families won't be able to make payments through no fault of their own-pushing them deeper into debt and the prospect of being thrown out of their homes," Schumer and Pelosi were quoted in a Sept. 1 statement.

Diane Yentel, National Low Income Housing Coalition President and CEO, said that ensuring housing during a pandemic is not only a moral imperative but also a public health necessity.

Yentel also said that the eviction tsunami is entirely predictable and preventable.

She added that the White House must pass a COVID-19 spending bill that includes a uniform moratorium on all evictions for nonpayment of rent during the period of the pandemic.

At least $100 billion in emergency rental assistance should also be provided, Yentel said.

"Together, these actions will stem the tide of evictions across the country," Yentel was quoted.

Housing advocates said that aside from the eviction ban, Congress must also act on a measure with at least $100 billion in federal funds to avoid homelessness amid the pandemic.

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