RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — In one of this first moves as President, Joe Biden ordered the Centers for Disease Control to extend a ban on home evictions and foreclosures.
The eviction moratorium was set to expire on Jan 31., but has now been extended through at least March 31.
The ban was imposed last year to mitigate the health and economic crisis caused by COVID-19. It barred landlords from forcing tenants from their homes as long as the tenant proved the pandemic had impacted their finances.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has presented a historic threat to our nation’s health,” CDC Director Rochelle P. Walensky said in a statement. “It has also triggered a housing affordability crisis that disproportionately affects some communities.”
According to the RVA Eviction Lab, up to 262,000 households are at risk of eviction in Virginia. On average, Virginia tenants owe more than $2,000 in back rent.
Richmond, Henrico, and Petersburg fall just under that threshold; however, tenants in Chesterfield average $2,300 in back rent.
To be protected under the moratorium, you must prove that you are unable to pay rent due to income loss; attempted to receive government assistance; and agree to make payments based off what you can afford.
