NC eviction moratorium ending

The moratorium on evictions in North Carolina that has been in place for much of the pandemic will end Thursday after state officials declined to extend it, but that doesn't mean people will start losing their homes this week.

Posted 10:14 p.m. Jun 29, 2021 — Updated 12:58 a.m. Jun 30, 2021

Matthew Burns

, WRAL.com senior producer/politics editor

RALEIGH, N.C. — The moratorium on evictions in North Carolina that has been in place for much of the pandemic will end Thursday after state officials declined to extend it, but that doesn't mean people will start losing their homes this week.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently extended a national moratorium on evictions through the end of July, keeping many protections for tenants in North Carolina in place for another month.

The Republican majority on the Council of State, a 10-member board made up of statewide elected officials, rejected a similar extension in North Carolina. The council split along party lines, six Republican against and four Democrats for, on the question of extending the state moratorium.

“It’s disappointing to see Council of State members revoke eviction protections for people still struggling to stay in their homes,” Gov. Roy Cooper said in a statement. “Many North Carolinians still need help, and we will work to make sure landlords abide by the CDC evictions moratorium and that tenants can access rent and utility assistance from counties and the state HOPE program."

But the state realtors association applauded the move.

"Like many other industries, small-business housing providers are struggling to recover from the pandemic and deserve to be included in the economic recovery at hand," NC Realtors said in a statement.

The CDC evictions moratorium went into effect on Sept. 4, protecting residents from being evicted because of an inability to pay rent. The CDC indicated that the July extension will be the last one. In order to qualify for protection, tenants must attest to meeting the CDC’s income and eligibility requirements.

North Carolina's order put notice requirements in place for landlords before they could initiate an eviction action. They had to provide tenants with a copy of the declaration form the tenants must fill out to receive protections under the CDC order. Without that requirement, some tenants might be unaware of the protections available to them under the federal evictions moratorium and evicted unnecessarily.

The state order also laid out procedures that must take place once a tenant provided a landlord with a signed declaration and protected tenants who had been awarded state rental assistance from eviction while payment on awards was processed.

Meant to offer 'HOPE,' state rental assistance program has been slow to pay

Cooper created the Housing Opportunities and Prevention of Evictions, or HOPE, program last fall, using federal pandemic relief funds to provide rent and utility assistance to people struggling during the pandemic. The program has provided $132 million in assistance to landlords and utilities on behalf of more than 37,000 tenants.

The HOPE Program opened a new eligibility period this spring and is still accepting applicants. Several counties are also delivering emergency rental assistance through local programs.

"Governor Cooper's revamped NC HOPE 2.0 rental relief fund has over a billion dollars to assist renters with continuing COVID-related rental needs. With this vital safety net in place, it is time to allow housing providers to participate in the economic recovery that has been afforded to so many other struggling industries," NC Realtors said.

Renters with questions can get help from an expert by calling 800-569-4287. People can get more information on the HOPE Program at 888-9ASK-HOPE, or 888-927-5467.

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