Landlords Seek $1.5B Eviction Moratorium Settlement

A group of over 1,500 landlords, including Matthew Haines and Liz Leone, are in settlement discussions with the United States — United States Department of Justice to recoup an estimated $1.5 billion in losses incurred due to the federal eviction moratorium. The moratorium, enacted by the United States — Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from September 2020 to July 2021, barred landlords from evicting non-paying tenants during the pandemic. The plaintiffs initially lost their case in the United States in 2022 but won on appeal, arguing that the moratorium violated the Fifth Amendment by denying them compensation. The United States — Supreme Court of the United States eventually ruled that the United States — Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lacked the authority to impose the ban. Landlords claim the ban devastated their businesses, forcing them into debt and leading to property sales, while tenant advocates argue it prevented widespread homelessness and point to federal rental assistance as compensation.