Despite the CDC’s Eviction Ban, Thousands of Tenants Are Losing Their Homes

Partner Mark Melton spoke with The National about the fact that tenants across the country are still facing eviction despite the moratorium issued by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). The CDC's eviction moratorium was originally issued to curb the spread of COVID-19. But the moratorium, which applies only to qualifying tenants through the end of the year, is riddled with loopholes and has been ineffectively enforced. Thus, thousands of tenants have been evicted despite the ban.

Mr. Melton, who helped to set up pro bono legal advice for people facing eviction through the Dallas Evictions 2020 campaign, sees this happening “all the time,” he said. Some landlords claim tenants are destroying the property, but when he goes out to survey it, it’s clear that the property is already long in significant disrepair. Many tenants are simply unaware that they could be protected by the CDC ban. It depends, in many instances, on whether they have Internet access or if they’re in some other way connected to resources that could inform them of their rights, said Mr. Melton.

READ: Despite the CDC’s Eviction Ban, Thousands of Tenants Are Losing Their Homes