HUD’s Office of Public and Indian Housing (PIH) and Office of Multifamily Housing Programs (Multifamily) posted the CDC eviction moratorium declaration form in 20 languages in addition to English. The CDC eviction moratorium is in effect until December 31, 2020, but does not provide emergency rental assistance resources to cover back rent, utilities, or fees.
The PIH COVID-19 webpage is at: https://bit.ly/3jIGshn, and the Multifamily COVID-19 webpage is at: https://bit.ly/3iQc2sp. They have the same links for the version of the declaration form in 20 languages at: https://bit.ly/2GvmSa9l. PIH also has the English version is at: https://bit.ly/36KMWIY
To be protected, qualified renters facing eviction should immediately provide a signed declaration to their landlords. More details about the moratorium and a sample declaration renters can use is on NLIHC’s National Moratorium webpage that includes NLIHC’s and the National Housing Law Project’s Overview of National Eviction Moratorium, NLIHC’s National Eviction Moratorium: FAQ for Renters and versions of the declaration translated into Arabic | Burmese | Simplified Chinese | Traditional Chinese | Creole | English | Hmong | Punjabi (Gurmukhī) | Russian | Somali | Spanish | Tagalog | Vietnamese
In the declaration, renters must state, under penalty of perjury, that: 1) they have used their best efforts to obtain rental assistance; 2) they expect to earn no more than $99,000 in 2020 (or no more than $198,000 if filing a joint tax return), were not required to report income in 2019 to the IRS, or did not receive a CARES Act Economic Impact Payment; 3) they are unable to pay the full rent or make a full rent payment due to loss of income, loss of work hours, or extraordinary medical costs; 4) they are using best efforts to make partial rent payments; and 5) they would face eviction resulting in homelessness or forcing them to double or triple up with other households.
Advocates should circulate the declaration form in whatever language is appropriate to as many people as possible so that tenants are aware of the moratorium and know that they have to submit a declaration to avoid eviction.