Rep. Axne Urges Iowa Renters to Utilize CDC’s New Eviction Moratorium

September 2, 2020
Press Release

Today, Rep. Cindy Axne (IA-03) shared information on how Iowa renters can utilize the eviction moratorium authorized by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that goes into effect this Friday, September 4.

Rep. Axne encourages all Iowans who qualify to follow the steps to ensure they don’t lose their home in difficult economic times.

“I’m grateful that the CDC has used its pandemic authority to extend eviction protections to millions of families who are facing hard economic times – and hope that Iowans in need will use this emergency measure to keep themselves safe and housed in this public health crisis,” said Rep. Axne. “Unfortunately these households will still need help paying the rent in the long term. I am committed to fighting in Congress to provide additional relief for Iowa’s families experiencing financial difficulties – including through extensions of this eviction moratorium, rental assistance, and enhanced unemployment for those still out of work.”

More information on the CDC’s eviction moratorium:

The CDC’s eviction moratorium prohibits eviction due to nonpayment of rent for all renters, provided the tenant meets the following qualifications:

  • They have used best efforts to obtain all available government assistance for rent or housing – including any governmental rental or housing payment benefits available to the individual or any household member;
  • Either: 
    • expect to earn no more than $99,000 in annual income for Calendar Year 2020 (or no more than $198,000 if filing a joint tax return),
    • were not required to report any income in 2019 to the U.S. Internal Revenue Service, or
    • received an Economic Impact Payment pursuant to Section 2201 of the CARES Act;
  • Be unable to pay their full rent or make a full housing payment due to loss of income, loss of work or wages, lay-offs, or extraordinary out-of-pocket medical expenses (any unreimbursed medical expense likely to exceed 7.5% of one’s adjusted gross income for the year); 
  • Do their best to make partial payments; and
  • Expect that if evicted they would likely become homeless or need to share a residence in close quarters.

If these qualifications are met, each adult on the lease should separately declare these conditions are true under penalty of perjury using this form and present it to their landlord.

The CDC’s eviction moratorium goes into effect Friday, extends through the end of 2020, and is expected to protect up to 40 million renters from eviction.

Background:

Rep. Axne has made housing protections a top priority in her work on additional COVID-19 aid.

In June, the House passed two Axne-written bills to protect homeowners and renters during the pandemic –– the Protect Rural Renters Act and the Coronavirus Housing Counseling Support Act. These were included in legislation Rep. Axne cosponsored, which also included an expanded eviction moratorium and $100 billion for rental assistance.

In the first weeks of the public health emergency, Rep. Axne called on federal housing agencies to halt foreclosures on federally backed properties. After receiving her letter, both HUD and the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) announced they were suspending all foreclosures and evictions at properties they oversee.

Iowans looking for housing counseling assistance should visit https://www.hud.gov/i_want_to/talk_to_a_housing_counselor to find their local counseling agency.