Michael R. Strain, Columnist

The Ban on Evictions Can’t Become Permanent

Billions of dollars are still available to help needy renters. Once that money is distributed, the moratorium has to end.

August 4, 2021 at 8:00 PM UTC

By Michael R. Strain

Michael R. Strain is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist. He is director of economic policy studies and Arthur F. Burns Scholar in Political Economy at the American Enterprise Institute. He is the author of “The American Dream Is Not Dead: (But Populism Could Kill It).”

What about the landlords?
Photographer: Valerie Macon/AFP via Getty Images

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President Joe Biden’s decision to bypass Congress and extend the moratorium on evictions for two more months may be unconstitutional, but as a practical matter, keeping it in place through September is reasonable. It will give states and localities time to distribute unspent pandemic relief funds to renters.

Then it should expire on Oct. 3, as scheduled.