USICH Chair Issues Statement on Eviction Moratorium
HUD Secretary Marcia Fudge, chair of the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH), issued the following statement after the Supreme Court struck down the federal eviction moratorium:
“I am deeply disappointed by the Supreme Court’s ruling on the CDC’s eviction moratorium. With this decision, the Court has put millions of Americans at risk of losing their homes—even as the Delta variant heightens their risk of exposure to COVID-19. Many of these Americans are among our most vulnerable—including senior citizens, people with chronic illnesses, young children, and families with the lowest incomes.
I pledge that the Department of Housing and Urban Development will continue to use every tool at our disposal to protect those people whose health and well-being are now in jeopardy.
We join President Biden in calling on state and local officials to distribute the Emergency Rental Assistance funds provided by our federal government with the utmost urgency—and to use all the flexibilities the law authorizes to get these funds to the people who need them. HUD will continue to work with our federal partners to empower our stakeholders with the guidance they need to access these vital resources.
We call on state and local jurisdictions to take every action they can to safeguard their most vulnerable residents. These actions should include permitting evictions for non-payment of rent only after landlords and tenants have sought Emergency Rental Assistance funds. We call on every landlord, every housing owner, and every partner that receives our support to do all they can to help protect the people of their communities.
We can help preserve the safety and security of millions of Americans if we act with urgency—and with compassion in the midst of crisis. HUD is determined to do our part. We call on others to do their part as well.”