Colorado Apartment Association Calls CDC's Eviction Moratorium 'Bad Policy'
DENVER (Sept. 2, 2020) – Last night, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) issued an order for a national eviction moratorium for qualified residents that would last through the end of 2020. Drew Hamrick, general counsel and senior vice president of government affairs, Colorado Apartment Association (CAA), offered the following statement in response:
"CAA was surprised by the CDC's new eviction ban nationwide. Colorado rent payment rates remain strong at 94.7% and eviction levels are at an all-time low – only about one-quarter the normal pre-COVID-19 level. While the moratorium only applies to residents who can demonstrate an inability to pay the full rent and who have paid the full portion of the rent possible, the moratorium will still hit Colorado's small landlords particularly hard. Rental properties of seven units or less make up more than 70% of Colorado's rental units.
"These small property owners, who already are struggling financially during the COVID closures, don't have enough customer diversification or capitalization to withstand constant meddling from the federal government.
"This administrative order does nothing to help renters pay rent or help rental housing providers. Rental housing in Colorado is an ecosystem. When renters don't pay rent, housing providers cannot pay their own employees who have housing expenses and families to support. Further, if rental property owners cannot pay property taxes, it could reduce the amount of revenue available to pay teachers, first responders, and more. Housing policy is well outside the scope of CDC expertise or administrative responsibility, so it's understandable that the agency is so out of touch with the reality of the housing market.
"This is a bad policy that leads to bad outcomes. Ultimately, a measure like this makes affordable housing less attainable by reducing the supply of rental properties and will hurt the renters it's meant to help."
About the Colorado Apartment Association
The Colorado Apartment Association is a non-profit trade association representing owners, developers, management companies, and Supplier Partners of the multifamily rental housing industry. CAA is comprised of four local affiliates from across the state. The association represents over 3,000 members who own and manage over 300,000 apartment homes, which totals more than $88 billion in assets. Together with the local affiliates, the National Multifamily Housing Council, and the National Apartment Association, CAA offers a strong network of information, education and representation of the multifamily housing industry.