CDC extends eviction moratorium two months
1,100 evictions are currently pending in Palm Beach County
1,100 evictions are currently pending in Palm Beach County
1,100 evictions are currently pending in Palm Beach County
There are about 1,100 evictions currently pending in Palm Beach County.
And for about 48 hours, there was no eviction moratorium in Florida.
That means for those 48 hours, 1,100 families were facing the prospect of being removed from their homes for not paying rent during the pandemic.
But on Tuesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention extended that moratorium two months, until the end of October.
“It was a sigh of relief,” said James Green.
Green is the director of the Palm Beach County Community Services Department.
He said his office works all day, every day trying to figure out ways to keep people in their homes.
“But it takes time,” he said. “So having a little breathing room is helpful to us.”
But Paul Howard sees it differently.
Howard is the president and founder of the Florida Landlords Network.
He said he and other landlords have worked with their tenants for about 18 months now.
He believes enough is enough.
“It’s pretty hard to make the claim that you can’t get a job somewhere,” Howard said. “I mean, everywhere that I go, I see ‘Now Hiring’ signs.”
Howard said he knows there are plenty of people who are legitimately struggling because of the pandemic, and those are the ones landlords want to help.
But he said landlords also have bills to pay.
And he believes there are many people who are simply using the moratorium to not pay rent because they don’t have to.
As for Green, he said they’ll work with anyone who needs help.
In just the last few months, his office has served nearly 6,000 families, providing about $20 million dollars in assistance.
He said he’s grateful for the extra two months to keep doing it.
“It’s extremely important that we have as much time as possible to provide the assistance to our residents,” he said.
Green said one of the challenges of his job is too many people don’t know what help is available.
People who are struggling with rent and other bills can contact his office at 561-355-4792 or go to their website.