The National Ban On Evictions Gives Some Relief For St. Louis Area Residents Facing Displacement
September 15, 2020
Thousands of people in the St. Louis region are facing evictions because of unemployment or a considerable loss of income from the ongoing effects of the coronavirus pandemic.
To mitigate the spread of coronavirus through mass evictions, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a three-month national ban on evictions for renters in early September.
For renters to be covered by the federal order, they must complete a declaration form that states the renter does not make more than $99,000 a year or received a stimulus check. The applicant must be unable to make a housing payment due to income loss or a substantial amount of medical expenses. Renters must also declare that they will become unhoused or forced to live with other family members or housing shelters if they lose their home.
“I don't think it's something that any of us expected. That said, it was certainly a welcome surprise,” said Matthew Ampleman, an attorney with Legal Services of Eastern Missouri. “The CDC is taking this very sweeping action to prevent a further public health crisis because they have seen that eviction moratoriums are protective of human health.”