5 Million People Face Eviction Crisis in Midwinter in the US

Eviction Moratorium Due to COVID-19 Pandemic to End by Year-End

[Asia Economy New York=Correspondent Baek Jong-min] Due to the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), 5 million tenants in the United States who have been unable to pay rent are at risk of being evicted from their homes.

Homeless people residing in a hotel in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, are packing their belongings and leaving after receiving an eviction order. They had been living in this hotel since the COVID-19 pandemic.
[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on the 13th (local time) that the ban on landlords forcibly evicting tenants who fail to pay rent will be lifted starting January next year. WSJ estimated that 2.4 million to 5 million households will be exposed to eviction risks.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) temporarily prohibited tenant evictions based on the Public Health Service Act.

If the eviction ban is not extended, concerns are rising that the damage caused by COVID-19 will worsen. The University of California released a study showing that if tenants evicted from their homes become homeless, COVID-19 deaths could increase by more than 10,000.

Credit rating agency Moody's estimated that by the end of this year, the total unpaid rent owed by U.S. tenants will reach $70 billion (approximately 76.4 trillion KRW).

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