CDC Issues Eviction Moratorium in Counties with High Levels of COVID-19

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued an eviction ban in counties experiencing high levels of COVID-19 spread, CNBC reports.

The decision comes after the CDC claimed it would not extend the federal eviction moratorium that was in place until July 31. This new order comes in spite of a Supreme Court ruling in which Justice Brett Kavanaugh suggested the CDC overstepped its authority to issue an eviction moratorium and that the moratorium could only be renewed through legislation. President Joe Biden had agreed despite top House Democrats urging the White House to act, as stated by NBC News.

The CDC’s new moratorium is set to last until Oct. 3. But Politico reports that the ban is already being contested by Alabama and Georgia chapters of the National Association of Realtors, the same plaintiffs that attempted to stop the original federal moratorium that was set in place in September.

Housing advocates are hoping that states will at least have enough time to hand out the $42 billion in federal emergency rental assistance that remains in the budget, Politifact adds. States have been struggling to rollout effective rental assistance programs, leaving the most vulnerable waiting for some sort of aid.

For now, many are thanking Democratic Rep. Cori Bush, who slept on the steps of the U.S. Capitol Building for five days to protest the end of the eviction ban. CNN notes that Bush has experienced homelessness and was evicted three times, making this issue personal to her.

Based on the CDC’s Covid Tracker, approximately 85% of counties nationwide are facing a substantial or high risk of transmission. Find out how your county is faring here.

Indianapolis Plans New Tiny House Village to Provide Homes for the Unsheltered

A new tiny house village for people experiencing homelessness may sprout up in Indianapolis — if backers can raise the money they need to build it, IndyStar reports.

Each tiny house in the 18-unit Circle City village will come with a bathroom, kitchenette and bedroom. There are also plans to construct a larger community building that will serve as a meeting ground for residents while also offering other amenities like laundry machines.

Tiny house villages have grown in popularity nationwide as community leaders feel it offers the tight-knit community homeless people need. Leon Longard, founder of the Circle City Village, recognizes this after working in homeless outreach and support for eight years. He hopes that Circle City’s more intimate housing will be able to provide holistic support for residents through partnerships with local agencies.

For now, Longard and his team focus on fundraising the $1.8 million they need for the village after a local church offered a sizable piece of land the village will be located in.

Denver Releases 5-year Plan to Address Homelessness

The city of Denver has released a draft of its five-year plan to help combat homelessness and housing, 9News reports.

The plan calls on the city to “help create a Denver where race no longer predicts outcomes for involuntary displacement, homelessness, homeownership or cost burden.” Some of the goals include the creation of 7,000 homes, reducing the rate of unsheltered homelessness by 50%, reducing eviction filings by 25% and helping combat gentrification through affordable housing policies.

The draft will be presented to the community in two virtual meetings.

“We certainly have shot for…several ambitious goals because we feel that the community is coming together and rallying together to address homelessness and housing instability in Denver,” said Britta Fisher, the city’s chief housing officer, to 9NEWS. “These are the kinds of actions that we all need to rally together to really address what we’re seeing in our community right now.”

Solcyre (Sol) Burga was an Emma Bowen Foundation Fellow with Next City for summer 2021. Burga graduated from Rutgers University with a degree in political science and journalism in May of 2022. As a Newark native and immigrant, she hopes to elevate the voices of underrepresented communities in her work.

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