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There are a lot of unknowns right now for renters who may face eviction due to the financial impact from COVID-19. On Aug. 3, 2021, the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) extended the temporary moratorium for renters due to the ongoing impact of the pandemic.
The moratorium is intended to halt evictions for people who live in communities hit the hardest by the pandemic. According to the moratorium, “a landlord may not evict anyone while the county is experiencing high levels of community transmission due to COVID-19.” The temporary moratorium protects qualified renters through Oct. 3, 2021.
However, this process is not automatic. Not all renters are eligible for the protection, and if you are, there are steps you must take in order to protect yourself from eviction:
· Visit the CDC Eviction Protection Declaration
· Confirm you meet at least one of the following in order to qualify:
o You received a stimulus check in 2020 or 2021
o You were not required to report any income to the IRS in 2020
o You receive financial support from the government
o You earned less than a designated financial threshold in 2020 or 2021
· Confirm you also meet at least one reason for not being able to make a rent payment:
o Your income has decreased significantly
o You lost your job
o Your work hours or salary decreased
o You have extraordinary out-of-pocket medical expenses
If you meet the necessary requirements, you must complete the CDC Eviction Protection Declaration and submit the signed declaration to your landlord.
The CDC provides the declaration form in many different languages. If you have questions or problems with the form, you may contact the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development at (800) 569-4287 or visit their website.
If you are facing eviction, there are legal services in Georgia that can help you, including Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation, Atlanta Legal Aid and Georgia Legal Aid. You also will find more information on evictions here.
You could always pay the rent. That usually stops evictions.