Supreme Court scraps eviction moratorium

SCOTUS ruled Thursday the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention acted unlawfully by rolling out the eviction ban in August. The court majority’s opinion said Congress must authorize any federally imposed eviction pause. The three liberal justices who dissented to the ruling cited the rise in COVID-19 cases and the delta variant.

Why did the CDC act on the moratorium? The CDC issued the two-month order after the earlier pause ended on July 31. The Supreme Court allowed that earlier decision to stand, but Justice Brett Kavanaugh, who cast the deciding vote, said any further extension would require action from Congress. White House press secretary Jen Psaki called the decision a disappointment, saying, “As a result of this ruling, families will face the painful impact of evictions, and communities across the country will face greater risk of exposure.”

Dig deeper: Read Charissa Koh’s report in Compassion on the long-term consequences of eviction moratoriums.