AUSTIN, Texas — People in Austin who may be struggling to pay rent due to the COVID-19 pandemic are getting some relief thanks to the Austin City Council.
This week, council members voted to extend the eviction moratorium in Austin. It's now set to end on Dec. 31.
The eviction moratorium was first put in place on March 26, 2020, and prohibits landlords from issuing notices to vacate except in certain circumstances.
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Austin and Travis County leaders had previously extended the eviction order through Oct. 15 back in July. When the order expires, landlords will be allowed to file a Notice of Eviction if their tenant has unpaid rent for five or more months and has exhausted all of their rental assistance remedies.
“Our orders will continue to prevent many evictions at a critical time, resulting in Austin-Travis County having one of the lowest eviction rates in the nation," Austin Mayor Steve Adler said in a press release. “These eviction protections have helped us keep many people in their homes during this pandemic. These protections also stop the potential cycle of homelessness and help limit the spread of COVID-19 and its variants by reducing the residents' points of contact with others by moving from one home to another.”
Travis County Judge Andy Brown issued the following statement:
"Our joint County & City eviction protections protect families. This eviction moratorium is the most important public health intervention we’ve had in place during this COVID-19 pandemic. Keeping families housed helps prevent the spread of COVID-19 and helps people keep their jobs and strengthens our local economy. In addition to these measures, we provided $14 million in rent & mortgage assistance to ensure people across Travis County stayed housed."
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