Massachusetts Housing Advocates Fear Wave Of Evictions As Moratorium Times Out
Before the CDC eviction moratorium was extended by a month in late June, protesters stand outside Boston Housing Court during a rally against evictions on June 9, 2021. (Tori Bedford/GBH News)
The federal government’s eviction moratorium expires this weekend, removing the last remaining protection for tenants who’ve fallen behind on rent during the pandemic.
The Massachusetts Landlords Association does not expect a rise in evictions in August, saying there’s plenty of state assistance to help tenants behind on their rent.
But housing advocates are concerned that aid is not getting to renters who need it just at the moratorium established last year by the Centers for Disease Control and Protection (CDC) is expiring.
While the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) has distributed more than $170 million in rental aid to nearly 30,000 households since Gov. Charlie Baker lifted the state’s eviction moratorium, the agency has rejected 90% of those seeking assistance this year, according to the agency’s reports.