TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday let residents know that Florida’s eviction moratorium has been allowed to expire and instead, the state will abide by the CDC’s temporary halt in evictions nationwide.
In April, the governor ordered that no residential evictions take place because so many Floridians were out of work as businesses shuttered to stop the spread of COVID-19.
That order was extended multiple times to give residents more time to catch up on their bills, up until Wednesday when it was allowed to expire.
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“Executive Order 20-211 pertaining to the State’s mortgage foreclosure and eviction relief was permitted to expire to avoid any confusion over whether the CDC’s evictions Order should apply in a particular circumstance. The CDC’s evictions Order expires on Dec. 31, 2020, unless extended,” the memorandum reads.
The CDC’s order posted online here, says it applies everywhere in the U.S. except where a local eviction moratorium is already in place. Now that Florida’s order has expired, the federal CDC moratorium will apply in the Sunshine State instead.
The governor also issued an executive order Wednesday letting local government bodies know they need to resume in-person meetings by Nov. 1. Most city and county councils in Central Florida have been hosting their meetings virtually for the past several months to stop the spread of COVID-19.
Attorney Jay Mobley with the Legal Aid Society of the OCBA said it is not as if we are going to have mass evictions because of the expiration of the state’s order.
“It’s just putting the burden back on the tenant to really be proactive about defending themselves,” Attorney Mobley said.
Alyssa Jones said she lost her job as an interior designer in June. The Lake county mother said her family has been on the brink of eviction.
“It’s been a real struggle living on one salary so it’s been a ride, we have two kids,” Alyssa Jones said.
Both notices come days after Florida entered the third and final phase of its coronavirus reopening plan.
As of Wednesday, Florida has reported 706,516 COVID-19 cases and 14,488 deaths.