Housing advocates prepare for worst-case eviction scenario

Efforts to stave off evictions during the coronavirus pandemic at the local, state and federal level have made for a confusing situation for thousands of Philadelphia tenants struggling to pay rent. 

A Pennsylvania moratorium on eviction actions expired Monday, clearing the way for nearly 1,800 evictions previously in progress to resume in a city that sees close to 20,000 annually. 

But an announcement late last Tuesday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention could put a federal hold through the end of the year on many of those evictions starting last Friday.

Meanwhile, Philadelphia’s eviction diversion program, which aims for mediation before a new action is filed, took effect last Monday, and the city is offering another round of rental assistance.

Legal experts and housing advocates say tenants should be ready for the worst case scenario as local governments figure out how to implement the federal rule.

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