JOHANNES EISELE/AFP via Getty Images)
The state of New York has officially issued a moratorium on all eviction proceedings and pending eviction orders. Though initially intended to last for one week (through March 20), the moratorium has since been expanded through the indefinite future as more than 700 New Yorkers have tested positive for COVID-19.
The decision follows a request to Chief Judge Janet DiFiore from Senator Brian Kavanagh, who wrote that "permitting evictions to continue will unnecessarily and unreasonably increase health risks from COVID-19 for New Yorkers. Many individuals and families who are evicted from their homes will be forced to live in public spaces, in shelters, or in other temporary and often precarious circumstances — limiting their ability to self-quarantine and increasing their exposure to others." Read his entire letter below.