Gov. Wolf extends ban on evictions to July 10 amid COVID-19 crisis
Gov. Tom Wolf and Attorney General Josh Shapiro announced an extension on an eviction and foreclosure ban to July 10 on Thursday, as the coronavirus pandemic continues.
Wolf signed an executive order building on a Pennsylvania Supreme Court order to close court eviction proceedings. That order was set to expire Monday. Wolf noted that as Pennsylvanians are being asked to stay at home, it is essential that they have a place to stay.
“At a time when people need to stay home to protect their heath, they should not have to worry about losing their homes,” he said. “Ensuring that people can remain in their homes will help them to better protect their loved ones. It gives families the comfort of knowing they will have a place to live while all of us work together to fight COVID-19 and prepare to move Pennsylvania forward.”
He emphasized the extension is not designed to release tenants from paying their rent, and recognized that many landlords rely on rent payments as their sources of income.
“While the action I’m taking today delays foreclosures and evictions, rent and mortgages are still due,” he said.
Assistance is available for both landlords and homeowners. Shapiro also referenced the Pennsylvania CARE Package, a consumer protection program which requires banks to give financial assistance to residents, including 90-day grace periods on mortgage payments.
“We recognize that having this delay gives people the peace of mind that they’re not going to lose the roof over their heads during this crisis,” he said of the executive order.
Shapiro is also working with the Pennsylvania Apartment Association to issue guidance to landlords, urging landlords to work with tenants who are unable to make payments, waive late fees and access available resources to fill in any gaps left by missed rent checks.
“Rent will still be due, but landlords need to work with tenants to ensure that will be possible,” he said.
Shapiro said he does not expect an influx of evictions beginning at the end of the ban, saying there are “weeks available” in the legal process prior to a tenant’s removal, and it is not necessarily a financial advantage to a landlord to pursue an eviction over working with a tenant on a payment plan.
Resources and assistance for landlords, homeowners and tenants include the Paycheck Protection Program and programs through the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Federal Housing Finance Agency.
“I am confident that if we work together, we are going to beat this,” Shapiro said.