NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – The federal government defended its national eviction ban before a judge Friday, arguing that the moratorium had helped prevent the spread of COVID-19 and did not overstep the authority provided by Congress.
The arguments are part of a federal lawsuit filed by a handful of landlords in Memphis earlier this year, which claims the eviction moratorium has unfairly strained their finances and violated their property rights.
Property owners across the country have filed similar complaints seeking to overturn President Donald Trump’s directive, implemented by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, that broadly prevents evictions through the end of 2020. However, most of those suits have been dismissed.
Most recently, a judge in Ohio dismissed a landlord’s complaint after the federal government clarified that landlords were still free to pursue eviction proceedings while the federal ban is still in place.
“The aims of the order are to allow people to remain in their homes to prevent gatherings, congregate settings or unsheltered homelessness,” said Leslie Vigen, an U.S. Department of Justice attorney representing the federal agencies named in the complaint.