Colorado officials and eviction defense advocates say they believe that an unexpected order Tuesday from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will halt most evictions in the state starting this week.
The CDC announced it plans to suspend the eviction of tenants earning no more than $99,000 a year from Sept. 4 until Dec. 31. In a draft order, the agency said it’s taking the action to prevent the coronavirus from spreading. The policy has the support of President Donald Trump, the White House said.
“President Trump is committed to helping hardworking Americans stay in their homes and combating the spread of the coronavirus,” White House spokesman Brian Morgenstern said in a statement. “Today’s announcement from his Administration means that people struggling to pay rent due to coronavirus will not have to worry about being evicted, and risk further spreading of or exposure to the disease due to economic hardship.”
The order from the Republican administration blindsided Colorado officials and advocates. The governor’s office, state lawmakers, attorneys and representatives for both the state Division of Housing and Judicial Branch scrambled Tuesday afternoon to first read the order and then to understand how and when Colorado might implement it. As of 4:30 p.m., no state official was able to affirmatively state to The Denver Post that evictions will be halted here for those who qualify under the order.
Read the rest from our partners at The Denver Post.
