People can’t be evicted from rental properties and mortgage foreclosures will remain halted through July 10, Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf said Thursday.
But rents, including back rent, and unpaid mortgage payments still will need to be paid, Wolf and state Attorney General Josh Shapiro said in a joint livestream.
A suspension of evictions and foreclosures issued by the state Supreme Court had been set to expire Monday. The extension buys more time for people to regain their financial footing and make arrangements with landlords and their banks to repay what they owe, Wolf and Shapiro said.
“This executive order does not relieve anyone of their obligation to pay their rent. The hope is during this time, rent payments still come in,” Wolf said.
But the pause on evictions allows people to obey the state’s stay-at-home guidance without fearing they will lose their homes, Wolf said.
People should talk to their landlords and/or financial institutions to come up with a plan to repay what’s past due, he said.
They now have 60 more days to make those arrangements and take advantage of other local, state and federal resources to get back on their feet.
“We’re all going through a tough patch here,” Shapiro said.
The state Department of Human Services’ Sheltering Taskforce has also been activated and is working to help people who are homeless, Wolf said. The Department of Community and Economic Development is accepting applications for emergency grants to help organizations that help the homeless.
The Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency is also offering forbearances that include waivers of late fees to those with a PHFA mortgage who have been impacted by covid-19.
The PHFA is also encouraging those who manage low-income housing to be flexible with rent and waive late fees, Wolf said.
