Executive order stopping evictions during pandemic expires Tuesday

An executive order forbidding evictions due to the pandemic is set to expire Tuesday.

Lawmakers are now urging Gov. Ron DeSantis to do two things: Extend the eviction and foreclosure moratorium until the end of July, and continue to waive the work search requirement on the unemployment application. Both will expire next week.

“These are hardworking Floridians that if they had jobs right now, they would be making their payments on time. But because of COVID-19 coupled with Florida's broken unemployment system, they cannot make ends meet,” Rep. Anna Eskamani said.

Johnathan Brady first applied for unemployment in March, but his cliam still says pending. He now has an eviction notice from his landlord.

“I know there’s a lot of people in my position,” Brady said.

DeSantis previously said 98% of all eligible Floridians who filed for unemployment in March have been paid.

Brady said he still can’t get anyone on the phone to access his application and tell him what’s happening “even though you’re pressing five, which is claim-specific,” Brady said.

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An agent told Brady all he could do is wait for tech support to call him back, but that he can’t wait for someone to maybe call him back. The agent the suggested he call another unemployment help number.

The new agent messaged his supervisor, but nobody could tell him what to do to get his unemployment benefits.

If evicted, he doesn’t know what he’ll do.

“I haven’t crossed that path yet,” he said. “I don’t know.”

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