09/02/2020
Statement by the Florida Apartment Association on the Federal Eviction Moratorium
Statement by the Florida Apartment Association
on the Federal Eviction Moratorium
ORLANDO, FLA., September 2, 2020 — The Florida Apartment Association, representing more than two-thirds of all apartment homes across the state of Florida, has serious concerns regarding the decision by the Centers for Disease Control to issue a federal eviction moratorium without the establishment of a federal rental assistance fund. This shortsighted approach undermines the ability for housing providers, many of whom are already struggling to weather the COVID-19 crisis, to provide quality rental housing for Florida’s 2.8 million apartment residents.
The federal moratorium fails to address the root cause of the problem, which is that many Americans have endured loss of employment and are behind on their expenses due to no fault of their own. Florida housing providers have taken extreme measures to provide unprecedented flexibility to renters in need but they too have mounting financial burdens and cannot solve this crisis alone.
America’s strategy to address housing security going forward must meet the needs of both housing providers and renters to ensure the preservation of our nation’s already strained rental housing supply. Ultimately, the only viable solution to provide housing security in the long term is through the establishment of rental assistance funds. That is why now more than ever, FAA urges Congress to address the need for rental assistance in the next phase of COVID-19 relief.
