Late last night, Congress officially passed an extension on the CDC Order (see the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021) extending its protection for tenants through January 31st of 2021. Included in the bill is $25 billion in funding for rental assistance, however, it appears unlikely the funds will actually reach the hands of landlords and tenants prior to January 31, 2021.
What can landlords do? Continue to assist your tenants in applying for financial assistance where available. Continue to work with your tenants in creating payment plans. Continue to notify us if you have a tenant who has submitted a CDC Declaration but is not complying with the terms. We can challenge the CDC Declaration if the tenant is not attempting to make partial payments, is not seeking financial aid, has not lost income due to COVID 19 or does not meet the income threshold.
We will continue to monitor the government’s response to COVID and keep you updated.