As a network of pediatricians and child health researchers, Children’s HealthWatch is deeply concerned with the impending and devastating consequences of the Supreme Court’s decision on August 26th to overturn the national eviction moratorium. Issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in response to the alarming health implications of eviction during the pandemic, the moratorium has kept millions of families and children safe and stably housed throughout the year. The termination of this protection places families across the US at risk of losing their home. Evictions are a public health issue that threatens the health of children and families. Families with children, of color, and with low incomes and families with all of these characteristics are at greatest risk, especially because they have disproportionately fallen behind on rent during the pandemic and historically experienced high rates of housing instability. The Supreme Court’s decision – which comes at a time when cases of COVID-19 are surging across the country – will deepen health and economic inequities and make families more susceptible to contracting the virus as well as long-term adverse health outcomes.

Ensuring that families are stably housed during and long after the pandemic is a public health necessity. In addition to urgently needed investments in housing, we join our national partners in calling for immediate action at the federal, state, and local level to prevent eviction and protect children and families.

Federal Calls to Action:

• The Administration must immediately issue an eviction moratorium for all renters living in federally assisted properties, including those supported by HUD, USDA, and the Department of Treasury
• Congress should immediately pass a nationwide eviction moratorium
• The Department of Justice should direct all courts to halt eviction cases in which the family is eligible for Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA)
• The Department of Treasury must continue to eliminate barriers that prevent the swift disbursement of ERA

State and Local Calls to Action:

• Implement or extend state and local eviction moratoriums to protect families during the pandemic and through its economic recovery
• Prioritize swift distribution of ERA and eliminate barriers to application and disbursement of funds
• Enact additional renter protections to keep families safely housed