CONNECTICUT, USA — In a 6-3 vote Thursday, the Supreme Court decided to block a temporary ban on evictions, which could impact about 3.5 million people, according to data from the US Census.
FOX61 spoke with a local broker who feels the time is right to end the moratorium.
“Initially, the rationale behind the moratorium was to prevent the spread of COVID-19 so now at this point, as we’re sending out kids back to school full time and the vaccine having been available for so long,” Greater CT Real Estate Broker Justin Del Giudice said. “I think ending the moratorium now is the decision that’s going to help landlords and tenants move forward.”
Del Giudice is a broker for Greater CT real estate and has worked in the industry for the past 12 years. He said eviction is a last resort for landlords.
“The way that the eviction moratorium was structured kind of placed an unfair burden on the landlords; they are still responsible for paying their mortgage, taxes, and all other associated costs with the rental property and they may not be receiving the rent to offset those costs,” he said.
On the other hand, there are concerns this could lead to a wave of evictions at a time when the delta variant is on the move and cases are on the rise.
Some Connecticut leaders are sounding off about the decision on social media.
“Last night, while our country mourned the loss of United States service members and Afghan civilians, six Republican Supreme Court appointees—three from Trump-McConnell—cleared the way for landlords to throw people onto the street,” Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro, who represents Connecticut’s third district, said in a Tweet. “For those facing eviction in Connecticut you have rights and protections, visit UniteCT. If you or someone you know needs assistance, my CT team can help: (203) 562-3718.”
The court, split along party lines, felt the CDC lacked authority to reimpose a moratorium without authorization from congress.
Local leaders want residents to know there are resources available for both landlords and tenants faced with eviction.
Unite CT has an emergency rental assistance fund. They also work with the Homelessness Mitigation Mediation Project, which is a collaboration between the Department of Housing and the Quinnipiac University School of Law.
“It brings the parties together with a facilitator: a neutral who’s trained to help them come up with suggestions, some solutions that are unique because no case is the same,” said Brendan Holt, who is the executive director of the project. “They can find ways that work for them, whether it’s monetary compensation from the state and we can help them divide that.”
He also said they can work out creative solutions that fit the needs of the tenants and landlords.
“Whether it’s sometimes doing a little work around the apartment complex they rent to work off some of the arrearage, sometimes landlords will also forgive portions if there are not enough funds to cover it completely,” Holt said.
If you are facing eviction and need assistance, click here to visit Unite CT.
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