Pennsylvania’s moratorium on evictions and foreclosures expired Tuesday, and neither the governor nor legislators seem to be on course to continue it.
Instead, Gov. Tom Wolf urged the Republican-controlled General Assembly to pass a bill that would provide further protections for renters and homeowners, claiming that state law bars him from doing it himself.
“Pennsylvanians are making sacrifices to fight this pandemic, but a place to live shouldn’t be one of them,” he said. “I’ve paused evictions for nearly four months, but now we need legislation.”
Specifically, Wolf said, the General Assembly should raise the rent cap from $750 per month to 130 percent of HUD limits, therefore encouraging more landlord participation. In many parts of the state, rent far exceeds the cap, he said.
Rules that force renters to apply for unemployment benefits or fall behind on payments before qualifying for assistance should also be eliminated, Wolf said, and lawmakers should boost funding for the state’s Rent Relief Program by $100 million. The administration estimates the reforms could help some 400,000 residents unable to make their September payments.
Senate Minority Leader Jay Costa, D-Allegheny, joined Wolf at Tuesday’s event to further pressure Republicans into action.
“No one should worry about losing the roof over their head at the same time they’re worried about contracting a highly contagious, deadly virus,” he said. “It’s our job to keep families safe, not stand idly by as they’re made homeless in droves.”
Senate Majority Leader Jake Corman, R-Centre, scoffed at the governor’s insistence on legislative intervention, saying only that lawmakers will “see what – if any – options we have when it comes to evictions.”
“Governor Wolf has made zero phone calls to the Republican legislative leaders on this issue,” he said. “He has offered zero language that would provide guidance to the legislature on how to achieve what he wants.”
Wolf said it’s true he’s not personally spoken with GOP leaders in more than a month, but clarifies his staff has reached out to lawmakers about the issue. He also sent a letter to both chambers last week detailing how the Emergency Management Services Code prevents him from extending his executive order – first signed in May and renewed in July – and why existing protections fall short of providing true relief.
“The General Assembly has had three months to act,” Wolf said. “They have not.”
