Boston Housing Authority Extends Moratorium On Evictions Until 2021
BOSTON (CBS) - There will be no evictions from public housing in Boston through the end of the year, Mayor Marty Walsh announced Friday.
The city's housing authority has extended its moratorium on non-essential evictions until 2021 because of the coronavirus pandemic. The only evictions not covered by the moratorium are those that are necessary for health and safety reasons or those related to crimes.
"We need to come together to protect residents and stabilize our communities," Walsh said. "Nobody should be losing their homes at times like this."
The Metropolitan Area Planning Council estimated that 18,000 households in Boston are currently having trouble paying rent.
"Any BHA resident or voucher holder who is unable to pay current rent during the pandemic should notify their housing manager or landlord through text, email or printed letter and establish a plan for repayment," the mayor's office said in a statement Friday. "Although there is an eviction moratorium currently in place, it is temporary, and tenants are still required to perform their contractual obligation to pay their rent."
The mayor also thanked Winn Companies, which owns more than 50 affordable housing complexes in the state, for announcing a similar moratorium. He urged other landlords to follow suit.
A statewide moratorium on evictions and foreclosures is set to expire August 18.
