Pittsburgh council passes revised ban on evictions

A revised law temporarily banning evictions in Pittsburgh was approved Tuesday by city council.

The law is also supported by Mayor Bill Peduto.

“I hope that we do see some level of enforcement,” Councilwoman Deb Gross said.

Gross has worked with community activists and city officials to fine-tune the law, which is designed to protect people facing hardships caused by the coronavirus pandemic from being evicted from their homes.

But crafting a temporary ban on evictions that can be enforced and is able to withstand legal challenges has taken months. Council initially adopted the ban March 2.

Before it was signed into law by Peduto, a North Huntingdon-based group that represents landlords sued the city March 5 because the law surpasses the powers granted the city under state law.

City officials have worked with its legal team to revise the law’s language to more clearly define who can be evicted and to reduce the penalties, from as much as $10,000 to $1,000 for a landlord who evicts an adult or up to $2,500 for a landlord who evicts a family with children under age 13.

Peduto supports the revisions and will sign the law, spokesman Tim McNulty said.

Council unanimously passed the revisions.

The moratorium ends when the city’s covid-19 emergency status expires. The latest emergency declaration runs through April 13, but council has extended it regularly as the pandemic continues.

The city’s Commission on Human Relations decides if landlords can receive an exemption from the law to evict tenants who are a health or safety issue. The commission added information about the moratorium on its website.

Landlords and tenants can also apply for federal rent and utility relief money that’s being administered through a joint Pittsburgh/Allegheny County program that has $36 million in federal money to distribute to help people pay rent and utilities. It can also cover back rent owed to landlords.

For information about the program, click here.