CDC halts evictions, but advocates say more relief needed to avoid rent ‘cliff’

 The national eviction moratorium announced this week by the Trump administration, aimed at reducing the spread of COVID-19, is a potential lifeline to millions of tenants struggling to pay rent. 

Tuesday’s order by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — on the day the sixth month of rent came due since the country shut down — was praised by housing advocates, who for months have said halting evictions was critical during the pandemic.

But the order, which runs through the end of the year, leaves significant questions about its enforcement and efficacy. And both landlords and tenant advocates in North Carolina warn that without substantial government rent relief, this temporary halt will delay but not prevent mass evictions and displacement.

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