WASHINGTON, DC – Today, after the Biden Administration announced a one month extension of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) eviction moratorium to prevent the eviction of tenants who are unable to make rental payments, U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) strongly backed the move.

The moratorium, which was scheduled to expire on June 30, 2021, is now extended through July 31, 2021.  The CDC announcement noted: “this is intended to be the final extension of the moratorium.”

Senator Reed is a senior member of both the Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee, and the Appropriations subcommittee that oversees federal housing investments.  He helped include $25 billion for the Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) program in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (P.L. 116-260) as well as $21.55 billion in additional Emergency Rental Assistance funding in the American Rescue Plan Act (P.L. 117-2). As a result, Rhode Island received a $352 million allocation in emergency rental assistance for residents and landlords to apply for through RentReliefRI.

Reed stated:

“I support this short-term extension banning evictions.  This move should give states and communities more time to allocate emergency housing funds and ensure people aren’t needlessly put out on the street. 

“The Trump Administration embedded needless red tape in the law that is making it more difficult for states to deploy the emergency rental assistance funds to help prevent avoidable evictions.  Despite this, we must make every effort to have these federal funds administered swiftly, equitably, and with the accountability needed to protect renters, landlords, and taxpayers alike.  I urge the Biden Administration to continue its efforts to accelerate this assistance and ensure it gets to people in need in a timely, effective manner.”

Since December, Senator Reed has helped direct over $450 million in federal housing funding to Rhode Island, including rental assistance, foreclosure prevention and housing counseling funds, and utility assistance.

“The federal funds have been approved by Congress, but a majority of the money still has not been deployed.  We know a safe, stable home is one of the best forms of PPE.  We’ve got to keep people housed, and I urge all eligible renters and landlords who need assistance to reach out to RentReliefRI and apply for the funds,” said Reed.