With the pandemic still looming and countless Americans struggling to manage bills, there have been recent housing-related updates following the president’s inauguration. As one of the first acts of his presidency, Biden requested for the eviction and foreclosure moratorium to be extended for those impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. Please see below for some specific details if you have been affected by COVID and are struggling to maintain your housing/rent payments:
- The moratorium has been extended to March 31st, 2021.
- This requires mortgage servicers to halt new foreclosure actions and to suspend any that are currently in progress.
- Through this, HUD (Department of Housing and Urban Development) requires mortgage services to provide up to six months of forbearance if someone is experiencing financial hardship due to the pandemic and they request such assistance.
- The moratorium also bans evictions due to nonpayment of rent.
- A tenant who cannot pay rent due to financial hardship from COVID will need to submit a declaration to their landlord providing them with this information. If a landlord refuses to acknowledge this, seek legal assistance.
If you’re able to continue paying rent or your mortgage, please continue to do so. The moratorium does not forgive these missed payments but, instead, delays them to a later time. Talk to your landlord or mortgage lender about repayment options that may be available once the moratorium ends. For any additional assistance in your area, please contact your local United Way by dialing 211.
Sources:
https://www.housingwire.com/articles/bidens-executive-order-will-extend-foreclosure-moratorium/