New Jersey Renters Fear Eviction As Federal Moratorium Ends

NEW JERSEY — After four extensions and several challenges in court, a federal moratorium protecting U.S. renters from eviction during the coronavirus pandemic has expired. And with New Jersey's own eviction ban nearing the end of its shelf life, a growing chorus of tenants in the Garden State are worried they may soon end up without a home.

The federal moratorium, issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, officially ended July 31. The most recent extension was issued in June, and officials have indicated they have no plans to extend it again.

While some states such as New Jersey have given renters extra protection with their own eviction freezes, many tenants across the nation remain worried about losing their homes. More than 1.4 million Americans are saying it’s "very likely" they’ll be evicted in the next two months, according to a recent Household Pulse Survey from the U.S. Census Bureau.

On top of that, about 4.9 million renters say they have no confidence in their ability to pay rent next month, while 7.4 million are still trying to catch up on rent payments.

While the federal government has funneled more than $46 billion in assistance to the country’s renters during the course of the pandemic, distributing that money has proved difficult. In some cases, the money never reached its intended recipients.

Ultimately, little has been done to curb an all-but-certain wave of eviction proceedings once the moratorium is lifted. Meanwhile, the White House is pushing state and municipal governments to do everything they can to stave off an eviction crisis.

“It’s fundamentally the responsibility of state and local governments to get relief in the hands of renters and landlords,” Susan Rice, director of the White House’s Domestic Policy Council, said during an early July meeting.

Here’s what’s happening in New Jersey as the end of the federal eviction moratorium draws near.

Anxiety Among New Jersey Renters Is High

Renters in New Jersey share the same fears as others across the nation. Nearly 78,500 tenants in the Garden State are saying it’s “very likely” they’ll be evicted from their homes in the next two months, according to recent statistics from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Meanwhile, 4.85 million renters in New Jersey say they have “no confidence” in their ability to pay rent next month, and 232,366 are still trying to catch up on rent payments.

• See related article: 1 In 5 New Jerseyans At Risk Of Eviction Or Foreclosure, Report Says

Evictions Could Spike Post-Moratorium

Perhaps unsurprisingly, evictions in New Jersey and in other states across the country dropped in 2020, according to the Eviction Lab at Princeton University.

In a typical year, U.S. landlords file about 3.7 million eviction cases in court; however, from March to December 2020, eviction filings were down 65 percent in cities and states tracked by the Eviction Lab.

This was especially true in states and municipalities that prohibited landlords from taking the first steps of the eviction process, which included issuing eviction notices or filing cases in court.

Now, experts say an eviction crisis is “looming” in the United States. That includes New Jersey, where tens of thousands of cases are clogging up the state court system.

Through its research, the Princeton University group noted that evictions spiked during short periods throughout the pandemic where no moratorium was in effect. For example, in the two weeks between the end of CARES Act coverage and the start of a moratorium extension, evictions were up 68 percent from the historical average. By Aug. 30, filings had returned to pre-pandemic levels.

The increase, researchers say, suggests landlords were acutely aware of what moratoriums were in place and were ready to kick out tenants who hadn’t paid their rent as soon as it was legally allowed.

Around 16 percent of adult renters were not current on their housing payments as of July 2021, according to an analysis by The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

“We’re going to see what we’ve been managing to stave off: this wave of evictions that is just going to crush some of these areas,” John Pollock, coordinator of the National Coalition for a Civil Right to Counsel, told CNBC.

• See related article: New Jersey Courts Try To Settle Cases As Eviction Backlog Swells

Renters Of Color More At Risk

While fewer eviction cases have been filed throughout the pandemic, Black and Latino renters — particularly female renters — remain disproportionately at risk of being filed against for eviction and being evicted, according to the Eviction Lab.

Eviction Lab data showed that filings after March 15, 2020, targeted the same communities and individuals who were most at risk of eviction prior to the pandemic.

Notably, Black renters received a disproportionate share of all eviction filings. While Black renters make up 22.8 percent of all renters tracked by the Eviction Lab, they were subject to 35.2 percent of all eviction filings between March 15 and Dec. 31.

• See related article: Coronavirus Is Exposing Racial Gaps In NJ, Advocates Say

Eviction Protection In New Jersey

The federal eviction moratorium may expire July 31, but New Jersey has its own ban that will last until January 1, 2022. Some groups and elected officials in New Jersey have been pushing for an extension, but others have called for a shorter window, especially for people with higher incomes – and have introduced a potential state law to do so.

Meanwhile, several aid and outreach programs are available for New Jerseyans struggling to pay the rent. They include:

• Some Garden State renters and landlords have found relief through the popular, federally funded COVID-19 Emergency Rental Assistance Program, which returned for a second round in March. Read More: More Coronavirus Aid Offered For NJ Home Renters (How To Apply)
• The New Jersey Courts system keeps a list of state, county, and municipal programs that can help renters during the COVID-19 crisis. Many might qualify for rental assistance, even if they aren’t facing eviction. (Learn more here)
• The New Jersey Department of Community Affairs runs homelessness prevention programs, which provide temporary assistance to households who are being evicted due to a short- term loss of income (learn more here). The agency also has a list of other aid programs, including heating/cooling bills, which can be seen here.

Other Things Renters Can Do

The U.S. Treasury Department has also published a list of state, local and tribal emergency rent assistance programs to help struggling home renters.

In addition, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has issued guidance for renters, landlords and homeowners. For renters, the bureau offers advice on paying rent and utilities, as well as talking to your landlord about a payment agreement. It also outlines what you can do to avoid eviction, and goes through your rights as a tenant.

This article contains reporting from the Patch national desk

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