Situation ‘Dire’ For Millions Of US Renters, Rep. Sherrill Warns

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — A federal eviction moratorium is over. And things aren’t looking good for millions of people across the nation, U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill of New Jersey says.

After four extensions and several challenges in court, a federal moratorium protecting U.S. renters from eviction during the coronavirus pandemic expired on July 31.

President Joe Biden made a last-ditch request to Congress on Thursday to extend the moratorium, citing the raging Delta variant, Reuters reported.

While some states such as New Jersey have given renters extra protection with their own eviction freezes, many tenants across the nation are worried about losing their homes. More than 1.4 million Americans are saying it’s "very likely" they’ll be evicted in the next two months, according to a recent Household Pulse Survey from the U.S. Census Bureau.

New Jersey has its own ban that will last until January 1, 2022. Some groups and elected officials in New Jersey have been pushing for an extension, but others have called for a shorter window, especially for people with higher incomes – and have introduced a potential state law to do so.

Rep. Sherrill, who represents the state’s 11th Congressional District (Essex, Morris, Passaic, Sussex counties), issued a statement about the federal eviction ban on Friday.

“Today, Congress failed to extend the federal eviction moratorium, meaning millions of American families remain in danger of being forcibly removed from their homes in the midst of an ongoing global pandemic,” she said.

“I’ve repeatedly voted in support of providing rental assistance and bolstering federal programs, but delays in the distribution of these critical funds across the country have pushed millions of renters into a dire situation,” Sherrill continued. “While New Jerseyans have additional protections on the state level, millions of Americans around the country do not, and the moratorium needs to be extended until these plans are in place.”

“Congress must work to ensure easier access to rental assistance programs so that people are not threatened with eviction and landlords continue to receive the income that many of them rely on,” Sherrill said. “I’ll continue to work to support the rental assistance programs we’ve already passed and funded and ensure they are better implemented, especially in states that are making it exceedingly difficult to access this help.”

The congresswoman added that New Jersey’s rental assistance programs are still accepting applications. Families and individuals in need can apply online here.

• See related article: NJ Courts Prepare For Onslaught Of Coronavirus Eviction Cases

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