On Thursday, the US Supreme Court gave a win to a group of landlords looking to resume eviction amidst a global pandemic. The 6-3 ruling (you can figure out who voted to overturn the moratorium and who did not) could leave many Americans homeless and pose new public health risks to already struggling communities trying to battle the deadly Coronavirus, COVID-19.
“It would be one thing if Congress had specifically authorized the action that the CDC has taken. But that has not happened,” the court said. “Instead, the CDC has imposed a nationwide moratorium on evictions in reliance on a decades-old statute that authorizes it to implement measures like fumigation and pest extermination. It strains credulity to believe that this statute grants the CDC the sweeping authority that it asserts.”
The White House issued a statement late Thursday, saying the Biden administration is “disappointed” the Supreme Court blocked the moratorium amid another surge in COVID-19 cases.
“In light of the Supreme Court ruling and the continued risk of COVID-19 transmission, President Biden is once again calling on all entities that can prevent evictions – from cities and states to local courts, landlords, Cabinet Agencies – to urgently act to prevent evictions,” White House spokesperson Jen Psaki said.
