YORK, Pa. — The national eviction moratorium is set to expire later this week.
Pennsylvania officials are holding a news conference on Monday to go over what kind of help is available ahead of Saturday's expiration date.
Per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) -- the prior extension of the national eviction moratorium, is the last and final extension.
Officials with the Biden Administration said the final extension allowed them to have an "all hands on deck" campaign to prevent a massive wave of evictions and foreclosures.
One of the reasons the moratorium was originally put in place was to prevent further spread of COVID-19, by putting people out on the streets and in shelters.
"Now that the moratoriums were lifted slightly, and then came back, they're looking to possibly move some renters out so that they can get the higher incomes on the properties," said Robin Williams-Wright, who lives in Harrisburg.
According to the Associated Press, more then four million people fear being evicted.
There is also a housing availability and affordability crisis plaguing our nation, amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
On the other hand, landlords have strongly opposed the moratorium and the extensions.
They have argued the focus should be in speeding up distribution of rental assistance.
"It's really impacting small landlords who cannot pay their mortgages... I know several landlords are putting their houses on the market due to tenants that are not paying rent," said Josh Clelan, Realtor at Coldwell Banker.
Some landlords though, rely on rents to pay their property's mortgage. So, they've argued that landlords need protection too.
As the economy tries to recover, problems still lie ahead.
A study by the National Association of Realtors, found the U.S. housing market needs to build at least 5.5 million new units to keep up with the demand, and to keep things affordable over the next ten years. That's roughly a 60% increase in home construction for the next decade.
Ahead of Monday's news conference, officials encourage those who need assistance -- whether it be risking eviction or utility shutoffs, to apply now and not to wait.
You can do so through the Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP). Once you visit the site you can submit you application through COMPASS.
While on ERAP you can find information on what documents are needed to apply, FAQ's, who the program helps, what makes you eligible, and more.