'More Uncertainty': Nebraska Renters Lose Protections as Moratorium Ends

Aug. 27, 2021, 12:47 p.m. ·

For rent sign with a brick apartment building in the background and tree branches in the foreground.

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A new ruling against an eviction moratorium from the United States Supreme Court wipes out potential protections for renters going forward.

It was well known that the most recent eviction moratorium was going to be challenged, but legal experts say they weren't necessarily expecting this swift of an ending. Abby Kuntz with Legal Aid of Nebraska said this poses new risks for renters.

"The biggest concern with the CDC moratorium being thrown out the window, is just it creates more uncertainty, and when it comes to peoples' housing, that's a very vulnerable thing to be uncertain about," Kuntz said.

In its decision Thursday, the conservative-ruled court said the CDC did not have the authority to impose the freeze and was relying on a decades-old statute.

Now, it will come down to the release of federal rental assistance funding.

"Most tenants I'm working with are tenants who are still eligible to receive rental assistance, so we're just hoping the rental assistance will come through by their next court date, because if it does, their housing is secure. They're good to go. My concern moving forward is the new cases I get that don't get the benefit of the extra time being protected by the CDC moratorium."

Nationally, only about 11% of that federal funding has been paid out to renters and landlords, essentially stalling the relief.