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National Eviction Moratorium extended until July 31: What you need to know

On Thursday, the Biden Administration extended the national eviction moratorium.

COLUMBIA, S.C. — On Thursday, the Biden Administration extended the nationwide ban on evictions, giving more time and relief to American's who have been financially impacted by the pandemic.

The order has been extended until July 31, and was originally expected to expire on June 30. The moratorium was created last year by the Trump Administration in response to the coronavirus pandemic. 

RELATED: CDC extends eviction moratorium through July 31

"A big thing that we know, landlords are hurting, too," said Chris Winston, Media and Market Engagement Manger for SC Housing. "A lot of landlords had to go the last 15 months, maybe without receiving rent for their tenants, and a lot of them are small businesses, a mom and pops, and we want to care about them and we want to make sure that they get paid as quickly as possible.”

Winston said the agency works with both tenants and landlords. 

"The application has to come from the tenant, but the landlord has a way to refer tenants to us," Winston said. "Obviously, landlords are very interested in getting paid for rent they've missed for over the past year. So, it's really a partnership. Both of them have to participate in the program."

The agency is federally funding through two different programs. Winston said almost $300 million was provided to help people who are behind on rent, mortgage, and utilities. 

RELATED: HUD announces $5 billion in emergency vouchers to battle homelessness

There are some requirements to receive housing assistance. Winston said there are income and residency qualifications, and you must show proof of being impacted by the pandemic. 

"Something we’ve noticed, a lot of landlords are trying to find ways to keep tenants in their homes," said Martina Tiku, attorney with the Columbia NAACP. "We have seen a lot of landlords that connect their tenants with us because they know we can assist their tenants with getting financial assistance or just whatever services they need to stay in their home."

The Columbia NAACP has a program called 'Housing Navigator.' This is a community based organization that connects volunteers to individuals who might get evicted or other housing insecure individuals with the resources they need to get in their homes. 

RELATED: New housing assistance program to launch Feb. 1
"The navigator program itself does not provide financial assistance," Tiku said. "But our navigators do work closely with our clients and connect them with other financial assistance that is available."

Tiku said navigators help clients fill out applications for assistance and perform follow ups on behalf of the tenants. 

"We just want to ensure that as many people as possible are supported through what’s a really, really difficult and isolated process," Tiku said. "We have lots of navigators who are ready and trained to just support however you need."

For more information about Housing Navigator, click here or call the Columbia NAACP Branch at 803-256-8771 (ext. 2).

For more information about SC Housing, click here.

RELATED: SC rent, utility program sees thousands of applicants; millions in funds still available

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