ORLANDO, Fla. – ***8:53 p.m. June 30, 2020 UPDATE***
The temporary ban on evictions and foreclosures in Florida amid the COVID-19 pandemic has been extended until Aug. 1.
Gov. Ron DeSantis issued the extension on the executive order hours before the current order was set to expire.
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The temporary ban on evictions and foreclosures in Florida put in place by Gov. Ron DeSantis due to economic hardships caused by the coronavirus pandemic will expire on Wednesday unless the governor, again, decides to extend the moratorium.
DeSantis issued an executive order in April placing a moratorium, or hold, on evictions due to nonpayment of monthly rent or mortgages. He has now twice extended that order, however, homeowners and renters are in limbo once again waiting to determine if he will do so for a third time.
When asked about extending the eviction moratorium at a news conference Tuesday DeSantis did not respond to the question.
According to the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity more than 170,000 people in Florida are waiting for their unemployment claims to be verified. Since March, more than 2.5 million claims in Florida have been process for unemployment benefits.
A reporter just asked @GovRonDeSantis about extending the moratorium on evictions.... #news6 pic.twitter.com/sS46iLXDmw
— Mike DeForest (@DeForestNews6) June 30, 2020
Under the current executive order, landlords can still send out eviction notices but law enforcement will not enforce evictions and court hearings won’t happen.
There is also a current federal moratorium on evictions, under the federal CARES Act, until July 25 but it only applies to certain properties, including federal-backed mortgages, public housing and section 8 housing. Click here to search and see if your home is included.
If DeSantis does not extend the order, thousands of Floridians face eviction.
Last week, DeSantis announced $240 million in funding for rental assistance for affordable housing tenants, along with rent and mortgage assistance.
The Florida Housing Finance Corporation will oversee the funds: Half of the funding will go toward helping tenants around the state who have been struggling to make rent. The other $120 million will go to local housing offices.
Locally, several Central Florida counties are offering rent assistance or financial help through federal CARES Act grants and pandemic assistance. Anyone seeking financial assistance should check their county or city government website for more information.
[MORE HOUSING COVERAGE: Florida announces new rent and mortgage assistance | Floridians aren’t confident they can pay rent amid coronavirus ]
There are federal resources available for renters and homeowners suffering from coronavirus hardships.
On Thursday, Fannie Mae announced further protections for Fannie Mae-financed multifamily property owners, extending eviction protections to multifamily renters when the property owner received a forbearance and announcing a new Renters Resource Finder tool.
Homeowners and renters can also contact U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development-approved housing counselors who can help navigate broader financial challenges. The Disaster Response Network can be accessed from the Renters Resource Finder on KnowYourOptions.com, or by calling 877-833-1746.
More resources for renters and homeowners can be found at hud.gov/coronavirus.