Supreme Court preserves eviction ban for one more month

A coalition of landlords and real estate companies in Alabama and Georgia asked the nation’s highest court to overturn a pandemic moratorium on kicking out tenants who didn’t pay rent. They argued that as coronavirus case numbers decline, no public health reason exists for the eviction ban. In a 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court upheld the moratorium. Justice Brett Kavanaugh said he agreed with the lower court that the eviction ban exceeded the authority of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but he left it in place until the end of July so the Treasury Department can distribute emergency assistance funds.

What happens next? Last week, the Treasury Department released updated instructions on distributing $47 billion in emergency rental assistance to tenants in danger of losing housing. The department will issue funds directly to state and local governments to distribute to landlords and tenants for rent and utility payments. Individuals who can prove unemployment, financial hardship due to the pandemic, low-income status, or danger of experiencing homelessness qualify for funds.

Dig deeper: Listen to Sarah Schweinsberg’s report on The World and Everything In It about families struggling with rent payments.