The state's residential eviction moratorium will be extended to January 1, 2021, the governor's office announced Wednesday. The moratorium was set to expire at the end of September.
Governor Ned Lamont plans to sign an executive order "soon" for the extension, which protects tenants who were current on their rent at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic earlier this year and have paid at least part of their rent since.
"Public health experts at the CDC have determined that supporting renters and landlords during this public health crisis is critical to controlling the spread of COVID-19,” Governor Lamont said in a statement. “I’m trying to get people back to work and children back to school, and having a home you can call your own is a critical foundation for making that happen. Tenants who can pay their rent on time should do so, and landlords and tenants should work together to develop reasonable payment plans for these extraordinary circumstances."
The governor also announced a doubling in funding for the Temporary Rental Housing Assistance Program (TRHAP) for state residents impacted by COVID-19. The program will now have $40 million in funding, according to the governor's office, which said the program provides up to $4,000 to landlords on behalf of approved tenants.
