A federal judge in the District of Columbia has overturned the national eviction moratorium, putting people at risk of losing their homes two months earlier than expected.
President Biden had extended the moratorium through the end of June, as the CDC had banned evictions across the country since September.
Approximately 1 in 5 renters are behind on their rent payments in the midst of the pandemic, and states are scrambling to disburse more than $45 billion in rental assistance monies.
The decision by Dabney Friedrich of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, who was appointed to the court in 2017 by former President Donald Trump, is a victory for the property owners who’ve challenged the CDC’s moratorium.
At least two other federal judges have questioned the CDC’s power to ban evictions, and landlords have criticized the policy, saying they can’t afford to continue housing people for free.
It’s not yet clear if the impact will be widespread, or have limited scope only impacting the plaintiffs who brought the case.
Speaking at her daily briefing, White House spokesperson Jen Psaki said the Department of Justice was reviewing the court’s decision and should have more to say later in the day.
“We also recognize, of course, the importance of the eviction moratorium for Americans who’ve fallen behind on rent during the pandemic,” Psaki said. “A recent study estimates that there were 1.55 million fewer evictions filed during 2020 than would be expected due to the eviction moratorium, so it’s clearly has had a huge benefit.”