Homeless shelters hunker down for winter, anticipate higher demand due to COVID and evictions
“The pandemic prompted the state to stop evictions for those who couldn’t pay their rent. Those laws started expiring over the summer and now another big deadline looms at the end of the year that is expected to bring more people to homeless shelters.
Those with income above 80% of the median saw the state’s moratorium on evictions come to an end on Aug. 31. Anyone below that threshold will be protected until the end of December as long as they take one important step.
‘It is critically important to note that even if people qualify for the protections from eviction for non-payment of rent during the periods that are covered (March 2020 through Dec. 31, 2021), if they don’t complete and submit their income self-certification, they can still be evicted for rent arrears in that period,’ said Lisa M. Ryan, a spokeswoman with the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs.”