It’s a tough time for a lot of families who are worried they can’t pay their rent and could lose their homes.
The federal moratorium on evictions ended at midnight, despite last-minute protests in Boston and around the country.
Starting Monday, landlords will be able to go into housing court and start the eviction process against delinquent tenants.
The moratorium had been a safety net for a lot of people during the pandemic.
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Last week, the Biden Administration said it would let the measure expire, after one extension.
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The Supreme Court ruled weeks ago that only Congress could extend the moratorium, something it failed to do as of Friday.
”We are looking at 30,000 people in Massachusetts at the risk of being evicted on Monday and in housing court," said Rachel Domond, who is against lifting the moratorium.
”Look, I agree the eviction moratorium is not a long-term solution," said Democratic Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren. "But let me be clear -- it is the right short-term action.”
More than 15 million people live in households that owe as much as $20 billion to their landlords, according to the Aspen Institute. As of July 5, roughly 3.6 million people in the U.S. said they faced eviction in the next two months, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey.
The city of Boston has set aside $32 million for rent relief.
State lawmakers are considering a bill to delay evictions and foreclosures.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
