Joint Statement by FTC Acting Chairwoman Rebecca Kelly Slaughter and CFPB Acting Director Dave Uejio

Federal Trade Commission Acting Chairwoman Rebecca Kelly Slaughter and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) Acting Director Dave Uejio issued the following statement today regarding the national moratorium on evictions during the pandemic:

“In the ongoing economic and public health crisis, millions of American families are at risk of losing their homes. A recent CFPB report found that renters are particularly endangered, with over 8.8 million tenants behind on rent. These tenants at risk of homelessness are disproportionately people of color, primarily Black and Hispanic families.

“Federal, state, and local governments have put in place protections against evictions to keep people in their homes and to stop the spread of COVID-19. Research has shown that eviction moratoriums save lives. Today, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention extended the federal moratorium on evictions by three months.

“Unfortunately, there are reports that major multistate landlords are forcing people out of their homes despite the government prohibitions or before tenants are aware of their rights. Depriving tenants of their rights is unacceptable. Many of the tenants at risk of eviction are older

Americans and people of color, who already experience heightened risks from COVID-19.

“Staff at both agencies will be monitoring and investigating eviction practices, particularly by major multistate landlords, eviction management services, and private equity firms, to ensure that they are complying with the law. Evicting tenants in violation of the CDC, state, or local moratoria, or evicting or threatening to evict them without apprising them of their legal rights under such moratoria, may violate prohibitions against deceptive and unfair practices, including under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and the Federal Trade Commission Act. We will not tolerate illegal practices that displace families and expose them—and by extension all of us—to grave health risks.”