CDC eviction moratorium exceeded authority, federal judge in Ohio rules

In a victory for landlords, a federal judge in Ohio ruled Thursday that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention exceeded its authority when it ordered a moratorium on evictions in connection with the coronavirus pandemic.

He did not, however, grant an injunction that would have stopped the agency from enforcing the moratorium. "Saddling landlords with the responsibility to provide free rent during this pandemic ignores their financial obligations and ability to provide safe, decent and affordable housing." The Justice Department is appealing another ruling two weeks earlier in which an Eastern Texas judge said the order was unconstitutional.