The Nationwide Eviction Moratorium may have saved renters but it cost landlords and property owners.
“We still had to pay a mortgage, our bills still had to be paid,” said local landlord Sheldon Smith.
Smith said the moratorium left landlords next to nothing.
“A lot of them are not wealthy individuals and are people that make $100,000 or $50,000 a year. The impact on them is tremendous,” said Texas A&M University-Central Texas Associate Professor of Finance Dr. Martin Hanby.
Smith is independent and owns three properties. He understands that the moratorium is helping many get through tough times but he thinks some are taking advantage even refusing to pay any rent.
“You’ve paid the wrong people. If you’re going to tell us that we can evict them then you pay us, but they left it up to the individuals to pay us. Most of them did not pay us.”
This week, a federal judge in Washington D.C. ruled the CDC overstepped its legal authority by issuing the moratorium. Local renter Estavon Williams said that has caused more confusion and will lead to more problems.
“People are being evicted and they have no place to go so now crime is going to rise. You're gonna start looking at predatory loaning systems,” said Williams.
Williams said rent had skyrocketed in Central Texas and says renters are being evicted despite the moratorium. He said they really need better jobs.
“They just don’t need to be pushed to the edge of society and forgotten about like Skid Row in California. These people need help and they need resolutions and solutions,” said Williams.
