Will Federal Aid Be Enough to Help Florida Tenants Avoid Evictions?

The second coronavirus stimulus bill passed by Congress authorized $25billion in immediate financial assistance to landlords and tenants in order to prevent evictions. Florida, with a higher population than most states, is expected to receive about $1.4 billion of these funds. That may sound like a lot of money. Unfortunately, the scope of the problem has gotten so out of control throughout 2020 that even $1.4 billion may not be enough to help the Florida families who are trying to avoid eviction.

The Sun-Sentinel reports that an estimated 187,000 to 391,000 Florida households will face eviction in February if the extended CDC eviction ban is allowed to expire on January 31, 2021. With$1.4 billion to spend, this would be between just $3500 and $7500 per household. Many families owe their landlords far more than this.

But this isn’t even the amount of funds that will be available, as the administration costs of running the programs that actually get this money to landlords and tenants will reduce the direct payments that can be made. This means that most families will see far less than $3500 or $7500 – which is much less than it would take to help most families stay in their homes. Overall, it seems that not all renters who need funds will be able to get them, and many will fall short of the funds they need to avoid eviction.

This does not mean that Florida tenants are out of luck. The experienced Florida eviction attorneys at Quattrochi, Torres, and Taormina are helping tenants find all possible ways to prevent evictions due to COVID-19. We can help you find the programs that will help you or develop the legal strategy that will help you avoid eviction in a global pandemic.  Call 407.452.4918 or contact us online to schedule your free consultation.