JUDY WOODRUFF: Throughout most of the pandemic, the federal government has been able to prevent
many evictions for people who are behind on their rent. That is due in large part to a moratorium
or ban imposed by the Centers for Disease Control and tied to public health concerns.
But the Supreme Court has said that the moratorium must expire,
unless Congress passes new legislation. It ends this weekend.
As John Yang tells us, there is
great concern about what could happen next to millions of people.
JOHN YANG: Judy, according to the most recent census data, more than
six million Americans are behind on their rent, and nearly a million say eviction is
very likely for them in the next two months.
One of them, Lela Jackson of Columbus, Ohio.
LELA JACKSON, Ohio: I can't even apply for an apartment, to leave here, because I have two
eviction filings, even though I still live here.
It's not fair. It is not -- it is so not fair. And I see other people
going through the same thing. Nobody wants to rent to a tenant
with an eviction filing. It's not fair. And I don't know what to do.
JOHN YANG: Since last year, Congress has allocated about $46 billion to help renters pay
back rent and avoid eviction, but much of it hasn't reached the people who need it the most.
Diane Yentel is president of the National Low Income Housing Coalition, an advocacy group.
Diane, thanks so much for joining us.
When this eviction moratorium expires
this weekend, what's your fear about what's going to happen?
DIANE YENTEL, President and CEO, National Low Income Housing Coalition:
Well, the federal eviction moratorium has been a lifeline. It has been kept tens of millions of
renters who otherwise would have lost their homes during a global pandemic stably housed during it.
It's also been an essential public health measure that has helped to contain the spread of and
deaths from COVID-19. Evictions are proven to cause both. So,
as we look at the possibility of the federal eviction moratorium expiring this weekend,
with 6.5 million renters still behind on rent, having fallen behind during the pandemic,
it is deeply concerning that we will have both a wave of evictions and housing instability
this summer and fall and further spread of and preventable deaths from COVID-19.
JOHN YANG: And with evictions potentially resuming, is there now an effort to get that money
to the people who need it faster than it has been getting there? And what can be done about that?
DIANE YENTEL: Yes, there's been an effort all along.
So, as of January of this year, renters were estimated to have accrued up to $50 billion
in rent and utility arrears. The good news is that Congress provided enough money to address all
the arrears that accrued during the pandemic. But the bad news is that the money has been very slow
to get to renters and landlords who need it to keep tenants stably housed.
The number have been picking up. There are some states and cities that are doing very well,
that are ramping up their programs, getting money quickly to tenants who need it. There
are many more who are moving much too slowly. And, at this point,
all of them, even if they give it their best effort at this moment, they can't possibly reach
all the tenants who need that money to stay stably housed before the moratorium expires.
JOHN YANG: In the last few weeks, as it was clear that this moratorium could not be
extended, re-extended, the Biden administration has been stepping up
initiatives to try to get the word out and try to make the money move faster.
Are you satisfied with what the administration has been doing?
DIANE YENTEL: They have been doing a lot.
They have been, I would say, appropriately aggressive in doing all they can to urge
and empower and pressure states and cities to do more to spend their money,
and it is having a positive effect. We have been tracking all emergency rental assistance
programs. And when we have seen obstacles, when we have seen -- when we have had concerns about
how the track of these programs are going, we have raised those to the White House and the Treasury.
They have been responsive. They have put out good guidance. They have put out tools. Today,
they have done a big effort to raise awareness about searchable databases
to find emergency rental assistance. So, I do think that they're doing much of what they can.
And I think that the Biden administration or Congress have to consider all options to
continue protections for renters beyond Saturday, because we cannot as a country allow for this
level of evictions and housing instability to proceed, especially as the Delta variant surges.
JOHN YANG: And, of course, the pandemic has been hard on property owners and landlords as well,
not just tenants, especially small landlords, as opposed to the big real estate investment trusts.
What can be done to be help -- or should be done to help small landlords?
DIANE YENTEL: Sure.
Small landlords rely on rental income in order to pay their own bills, to keep the lights on, to
continue to maintain and operate their properties. And it's the smaller landlords who are more likely
to be housing some of the lower-income renters who are falling or have fallen behind on rent.
That's another reason why emergency rental assistance has been so essential and why we have
always urged that eviction moratoriums be paired with significant emergency rental assistance. So,
again, the money that's out there, that's available, it can help both tenants and landlords.
Unfortunately, there has been a challenge in some communities, with landlords refusing
to participate and refusing -- in these programs refusing to accept these emergency
rental assistance funds, which is slowing down the process for everybody. And, at times, it's meaning
that some of these lowest-income renters aren't able to get any of the help terrorist they need.
JOHN YANG: Diane Yentel of the National Low Income Housing Coalition, thank you very much.
DIANE YENTEL: Thank you.