On Thursday, a federal judge in Texas declared the eviction moratorium imposed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention unconstitutional. “Although the Covid-19 pandemic persists, so does the Constitution,” the judge wrote in his ruling. The Department of Justice has announced that it will appeal.
Diane Yentel, president and chief executive of the National Low Income Housing Coalition, stated that the ruling creates uncertainty for renters. Presumably, that uncertainty centers on renters not knowing if they can continue living in a home that they aren’t paying for. Nothing was said about the uncertainty that landlords have faced since the moratorium was imposed in September.
When the moratorium was imposed, we were told that it was a temporary measure that would expire on December 31. That was later extended to the end of January, and then until the end of March. There is talk that it may be extended until the end of June.
It is tragic that renters thrown out of work by the lock down cannot pay their bills and face eviction. No decent landlord enjoys evicting a tenant. But owning rental property is a business and bills must be paid. The moratorium has placed millions of landlords in the precarious position of paying bills with reduced or no income. Millions of landlords face the uncertainty of not being able to pay the bills and losing their investment.
Uncertainty is the new normal.
Last March, when the lock down was first being imposed, stores shelves were quickly depleted as Americans tried to stock up on essentials. We were uncertain how long the restrictions would last. We were uncertain what further restrictions might be imposed. And so, we bought all of the food, cleaning supplies, and toilet paper we could find. Nearly a year later, many of the restrictions remain in place. Nearly a year later, we remain uncertain when (or if) the restrictions will be lifted.
The government’s response to the pandemic has been an ever-changing series of controls, restrictions, and mandates. We cannot make long-term plans regarding travel, our finances, or our businesses because we are uncertain what new controls, restrictions, and mandates will be issued in the future. Uncertainty is the new normal.