Florida renters who have been expecting to be evicted on May 17 are getting a two-week reprieve.
Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Thursday that he is extending a moratorium on evictions and foreclosures that he signed in an executive order at the beginning of the pandemic on April 2. The extension ends on June 2.
The executive order prohibits landlords from evicting tenants who are unable to pay their rent due to coronavirus. Additionally, lenders cannot foreclose on homes.
Democratic Sen. Gary Farmer, of Fort Lauderdale, supported the measure. He tweeted after Thursday’s announcement:
Thank you, Governor. @FloridaClerks here you go, extended until June 2. STOP ACCEPTING FILINGS, it causes confusion & fear & unnecessary stress to those who are already suffering. https://t.co/p3gae1wPpu
— Senator Gary Farmer (@FarmerForFLSen) May 14, 2020
Sen. Farmer also appealed to the governor to help provide unemployment benefits to all who have been trying to obtain them:
Thank you @GovRonDeSantis for hearing us & extending protections for struggling Floridians. Now, please consider paying ALL unemployment claims…system is irreparably broken for now, and Floridians need immediate help. https://t.co/yMIk28ZjYu
— Senator Gary Farmer (@FarmerForFLSen) May 14, 2020
He added that several clerks of court continue to make foreclosure and eviction filings and to issue summonses, thereby violating DeSantis’ executive order.
More than 1.9 million unemployed workers had filed for unemployment benefits in the state as of Wednesday, while only 711,896 have actually received payments, according to the state Department of Economic Opportunity.
Meanwhile, Francesca Radabaugh, executive director of the Delray Beach-based South East Florida Apartment Association, which represents local landlords, is calling for rent payment assistance from local, state or federal governments. “Eviction restrictions, while well intended, do not address the root cause of the problem — an individual’s inability to pay rent,” she said in an email.