Governor Ron DeSantis has extended his original order to prevent foreclosures and evictions during the coronavirus pandemic through the end of May.
The original order was issued on April 2 and was meant to expire Sunday, May 17 but faced with the reality of many Florida residents still being out of work, the state government made the decision to extend the order.
It’s estimated that nearly a third of Americans were not able to pay rent by April 5, according to the National Multifamily Housing Council, compared to an estimated 80.2 percent of apartment households that were able to make some sort of rent payment as of May 6. Part of that decrease has been attributed to tenants being able to negotiate payment plans with their landlords.
Yet with an estimated 20 million people who lost their jobs last month, the numbers are still expected to stay high as we enter the summer, especially when compounded by a flailing unemployment system. A survey cited by Yahoo! Finance estimates that 35 percent of renters lost income in March and 45 percent of that number do not have enough money saved to cover rent.
If you’re in need of legal aid, you can click HERE for a list of resources via the Florida Courts.
