Joe Biden Urges New Pause On Evictions As Delta Spreads

A day after the eviction moratorium expired, US President Joe Biden acknowledged the administration does not have legal authority to help renters stay in their homes.

US President Joe Biden on Monday urged the imposition of a new ban on evictions to prevent a wave of homelessness as the more infectious Delta variant of the coronavirus takes hold. But just a day after a nationwide eviction moratorium expired, Biden acknowledged the administration does not have the legal authority to help renters stay in their homes. That leaves the White House with few tools to deal with the issue that could impact millions of families after the 11-month old moratorium ordered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) lapsed early Sunday. "Given the rising urgency of containing the spread of the Delta variant," Biden asked the CDC to consider "a new, 30-day eviction moratorium -- focused on counties with High or Substantial case rates -- to protect renters," the White House said in a statement.