Local leaders extend eviction moratorium, rent assistance services
AUSTIN, Texas - Travis County Judge Andy Brown, Austin Mayor Steve Adler, and other local leaders announced an extension of the eviction moratorium and additional rental assistance services.
Judge Brown and Mayor Adler were joined by Travis County Commissioner Precinct 3 Ann Howard, District 4 Austin City Council member Greg Casar, Travis County Health & Human Services Director Sherri Fleming, and Building and Strengthening Tenant Action (BASTA) Project Director Shoshana Krieger.
The moratorium was enacted in response to the COVID-19 pandemic to protect people who are unable to pay rent and allow them to remain in their homes. Currently, the City of Austin and Travis County have an eviction ban in place until February 1st.
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In a statement, Mayor Adler said, "Today, Judge Brown and I join President Biden’s commitment to prevent evictions nationally, in the interest of public health. We are extending our local eviction protections until April 1, 2021. We will continue to find ways, such as rental relief funding, to keep Austinites safe in their homes and ease the financial burden on landlords. We call on the state and federal governments to help us make additional relief available so that we can continue to save lives and protect our local economy."
Hours after taking office, President Joe Biden signed an executive order to extend the ban on evictions through March 2021 but while proponents of halting evictions said it's saving lives, many Texas property owners believe there's a better way to help.
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