Coronavirus-related eviction pauses 'only provide a brief respite' for renters, expert says

Eviction moratoriums should provide renters some relief amid the novel coronavirus pandemic, but housing and legal experts are wary of what will come next, NBC News reports.

"More must be done ... to protect low- and moderate-income renters," said Paula Franzese, a Seton Hall University law professor. "Eviction pauses, while providing welcome temporary relief, are a mere stopgap measure that, without a forgiveness for rent arrearages, only provide a brief respite from inevitable eviction."

President Trump has issued some assurances that landlords will take it easy on renters going forward, but Solomon Greene, a senior expert at the Urban Institute, doesn't think that's the case, warning that many renters will likely be seeking rent after the moratoriums are lifted. "I don't think that is hypothetical," he said.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

After all, landlords will need to fulfill their own financial obligations like mortgages and property taxes, and without the income from their tenants that won't always be possible. Franzese said the federal government, states, and the private sector will need to work together to ease the financial burdens of potential rent forgiveness policies. Either way, Franzese said, it certainly seems like the country has reached a "tipping point" of a looming housing crisis. Read more at NBC News.