Nevada housing advocates claimed a victory this week after the Biden administration declared a 30-day extension of a nationwide eviction moratorium, but also warned that at-risk tenants will continue to fall through the cracks if they are unaware of their rights or the legal protocols they need to follow to get assistance.
During a Thursday video discussion surrounding tenants’ rights and the extension of the eviction moratorium through July 31, attorneys with Nevada Legal Services noted that the action gives renters additional time to receive rental assistance, but that this is likely the last time the federal government will extend the moratorium initially put in place last year. The federal announcement follows the expiration of the state moratorium at the end of May.
“There’s so much rent assistance under the American Rescue Plan here in Nevada, and it just hasn’t been disbursed yet, so I think the feelings of the [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] is let’s give another 30 days for that rent assistance to go out and help people who haven’t paid the rent,” said David Olshan, co-director of litigation for Nevada Legal Services, a statewide nonprofit organization providing free legal services to low-income Nevadans.
Research from left-leaning think tank Center on Budget and Policy Priorities indicates that about 14 percent of Nevada renters, or roughly 128,000 residents, are not caught up on rent.
The eviction moratorium enacted by the CDC applies across the country, but its constitutional standing remains in question as a case is pending in the U.S. Supreme Court following an appeal of a federal district court ruling that the CDC does not have the authority to order a national eviction ban.
Tenants’ rights advocates have also raised concerns that some Nevada courts are interpreting the CDC moratorium as not applicable to “no cause” evictions — evictions stemming not from a breach of contract but for any reason the landlord wants if there is not an active lease agreement — which jeopardizes renters’ housing situations.
In some recent eviction cases, attorneys with the Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada have filed briefs arguing that no cause evictions are protected under the eviction moratorium.
Read the full article here: Federal eviction moratorium extended, Nevada legal advocates say extra month will help with aid disbursement
This portion of the article is shared as part of our collaboration with The Nevada Independent. This story was originally published on June 25, 2021, and written by Tabitha Muller.