PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has extended the eviction moratorium for tenants to July 31. It’s the fourth extension prompted by the coronavirus pandemic.
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Pennsylvania tenant advocates are urging tenants and landlords to sign up for rental assistance now, while there’s plenty of money. Pennsylvania has $569 million in the Emergency Rental Assistance Program.
Christina Drzal, an attorney with the Chester City Office of Legal Aid of Southeastern Pennsylvania, said moving the deadline will help, especially since the Pennsylvania Supreme Court lifted an emergency measure that allowed counties to declare their own emergencies, preventing evictions.
Drzal is urging all tenants and landlords to apply.
“We had two clients each get $25,000 each through this program. That's a ton of money,” she said, “and that money is not going to the tenant. That money is going to the landlord. And we understand landlords have bills to pay, taxes, mortgages. So this should be a win-win for everybody.
“This is a well-funded program where you can get 12 months of arrears, three months of prospective rent, all your utilities paid. The government wants to help, and there is more than enough help out there.”
She said if people have trouble with the application process, they should call their local legal aid organization or state representative.
Many people have applied, but if the moratorium ends, tenants who did not apply could be out on the street, Drzal added.
“The only thing protecting some tenants currently is the CDC eviction moratorium, which just got extended. Without a further judicial emergency, that means at the end of July, Aug. 1, evictions would be able to proceed.”
County president judges have the ability to declare a county emergency to stop evictions, but it must be approved by the state.