Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives on Sunday night urged President Joe Biden to restart the recently expired eviction moratorium, calling it a “moral imperative” to avoid a wave of foreclosures and evictions.
Claiming that “science and reason” demand an extension of the moratorium, the House joint leadership statement said the pause “must be extended, and the funds Congress allocated to assist renters and landlords must be spent.”
The moratorium has been in place since last year but was allowed to expire on July 31. Experts and advocates have warned that the country may be facing a looming eviction and foreclosure crisis with the ban’s expiration.
Both federal and state governments have reportedly been struggling to distribute critical rental aid ahead of the moratorium’s end, something the Democrats in their statement said needs to be addressed.
“We call upon the Treasury Department to indicate how the funds that it has already transferred to states and communities can be more effectively distributed to renters and landlords,” the statement said.