Little difference between Murphy, Ciattarelli on eviction moratorium

Gov. Phil Murphy and Republican challenger Jack Ciattarelli aren’t that far apart on the eviction moratorium.

The policy barring evictions was among the first Murphy enacted through executive order. It’s been in place since March 19, when the governor issued an order barring evictions and foreclosures until two months after the New Jersey’s public health emergency or state of emergency, whichever came latest, lapsed.

In signing the March order, Murphy tied housing security to public health, warning a rise in homelessness would leave residents more vulnerable to COVID-19.

“Removals of residents pursuant to evictions or foreclosure proceedings can increase the risk to those residents of contracting COVID-19, which in turn increases the risks to the rest of society and endangers public health,” the executive order read.

But with case counts falling and the state marching out on the road to recovery, the governor and Democratic legislators are now looking to end the moratorium as missed rental payments accumulated over the last 15 months pose an increasing strain on landlords and a growing threat to tenants.

Though details about exactly how are still fluid, Murphy earlier this week said he’d prefer to see the state’s eviction rules reflect ones he imposed on utility shut-offs on Monday. That moratorium will lift on July 1, though shut-offs will still be barred until next year.

Ciattarelli was a little more willing to end the eviction moratorium, though he sought to tie the policy to the state’s job market.

“The state needs to take a compassionate approach to people whose housing situation was severely impacted by COVID and the governor’s prolonged and unscientific economic lockdown. The state also needs to get back to normal, and soon,” he said. “There are two quick ways for Murphy to do that. First, he needs to stop making it so easy to collect unemployment benefits. Second, for the sake of tenants and landlords, he needs to put higher priority on promoting state and county rental assistance programs.”

States with Republican governors have foregone a federal program providing unemployed residents with $300 in weekly supplemental unemployment payments, claiming those monies were choking job growth by dissuading residents from re-entering the workforce. The early sunsets did little to improve job growth.

The two candidates for governor agree on the need for more rental assistance. Lawmakers are negotiating a bill that includes $750 million in rental aid while also allowing tenants to pay down only a portion of their rent each month.

The bill is scheduled to be heard during a meeting of the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee Thursday afternoon, though it’s unclear whether it will remain on the agenda.

The New Jersey Globe rates the eviction moratorium as a LOW IMPACT ISSUE in the New Jersey Governor’s race.  There is not enough of a difference between Murphy and Ciattarelli on this issue  — and not enough single issue eviction moratorium voters  to cause a significant shift of votes in the November 2 election.