Last week, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) issued a temporary halt on evictions nationwide through the remainder of 2020. For tenants who qualify, the CDC’s order helps keep them housed.
![](https://organizetexas.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Pandemic-evictions-300x300.jpg)
However, we don’t know when this pandemic will be over or when the economy will recover. Also, at a time when our economy is in shambles and unemployment remains high, it’s shameful how this order isn’t coupled with a form of rental assistance. Families still need long-term financial relief that will keep tenants from falling into a debt trap on January 1. Also, the CDC order leaves some tenants without adequate eviction protections.
We need long-term solutions that not only keep people housed, but give them a way to get back on their feet. At a minimum, the federal government should freeze rents and mortgages. No one should have to pay rent or mortgage while they’re unemployed or under-employed. This is the only way we can prevent a housing crisis that will make a recovery difficult if not impossible.