Buffalo, NY (WBEN) The new eviction moratorium announced Tuesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention may have averted a flood of evictions because of the COVID-19 crisis. But landlords say the extension of the eviction moratorium until October 3rd will further complicate the situation and is ultimately the fault of state governments.
One landlord WBEN contacted even believes the continuation of the policy is a form of private property confiscation.
Lisa Damiani of the WNY Property Owners Coalition says the extension is a result of government failure. "There are billions of dollars in rental assistance out there, and New York State has been unable to secure any of these funds, which would alleviate any need for a moratorium," says Damiani.
Damiani says there's little reason for tenant to pay rent. "The economy is open and running. People are back to work, there are jobs available. There are billions of dollars in rental assistance, there have been stimulus checks. It's time to get back to business," says Damiani.
Damiani says landlords are out hundreds of thousands of dollars, and some are out more than a million. "They've been working their way through the very difficult process of the emergency rental assistance program, which has its own flaws and complications. Yet, they have not seen one dollar," says Damiani. Adding to that frustration, tenants who could pay, but have taken advantage of the moratorium to not do so. "People who never lost jobs, have not been impacted have stopped paying. Once they get a note about the consequences, they start paying," explains Damiani.
Damiani calls this a confiscation of private property. "The government has taken recourse away compensation. Normally, you provide a service or a good and you're compensating for it, but what's been happening for the last 18 months is a shelter is being provided and no compensation has been coming in," says Damiani.
Damiani says if someone doesn't want to respond to a rent payment request, they won't.
