Yesterday organizations representing Utahns disproportionately impacted by the COVID 19 pandemic delivered a letter to Governor Herbert asking him to extend Utah's eviction moratorium. The moratorium began on April 1, 2020, and is scheduled to expire next week on May 15, 2020.
The moratorium was intended to give our state time to use newly available federal funds to set up a rental assistance program to prevent sick people from being evicted during a pandemic. State officials are working valiantly to get a pandemic rent assistance up and running statewide but it is still not in place and the 15th is next week. Crossroads Urban Center drafted the letter because we are concerned that if the moratorium is not extended some landlords will evict people they know are sick to clear their complex of infected people. We are also concerned that some landlords will think it is simpler to evict tenants than to wait for them to apply for help through a state program.
We therefore urge Governor Herbert to extend the eviction moratorium until Utah's pandemic rental assistance program is up and running and has demonstrated that it works in ways that benefit both tenants and landlords.
The moratorium was intended to give our state time to use newly available federal funds to set up a rental assistance program to prevent sick people from being evicted during a pandemic. State officials are working valiantly to get a pandemic rent assistance up and running statewide but it is still not in place and the 15th is next week. Crossroads Urban Center drafted the letter because we are concerned that if the moratorium is not extended some landlords will evict people they know are sick to clear their complex of infected people. We are also concerned that some landlords will think it is simpler to evict tenants than to wait for them to apply for help through a state program.
We therefore urge Governor Herbert to extend the eviction moratorium until Utah's pandemic rental assistance program is up and running and has demonstrated that it works in ways that benefit both tenants and landlords.
