The current federal moratorium on evictions was due to end on June 30. We don’t know what will happen now. The Justice Department is appealing a similar decision in Texas.

The ruling by Judge Dabney Friedrich, a judge appointed by Trump, says the Public Health Services Act does not give the CDC legal authority to impose the moratorium, which was first released last year.

Section 5 of Cooper’s Order states that if a court without jurisdiction over North Carolina blocks or varies the CDC’s order, its executive action remains in effect.

What also remains is the housing insecurity caused by the pandemic. According to data collected by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities at the end of March, nearly 11 million Americans are behind on their rent; 15% of adult tenants.

In North Carolina, 269,000 people have not been caught up with the rent; 12% of tenants.

Jaime Paulen, an Orange County attorney who has represented several distressed Triangle tenants during the pandemic, fears that even if state protections hold until the end of June, eviction valves will s ‘will open soon.

“It took so long for a lot of that stimulus money to finally get to people. So the inability of a landlord to be able to evict you during a pandemic has saved people’s lives, ”said Paulen. “Now that it’s been so long since people are late and unable to pay their rent, it’s so much money that a lot of people will never be able to pay.”

The Justice Department has already announced that it is appealing the federal decision to Washington. But the ruling will likely encourage other homeowners – who need their money to avoid mortgage banks – to take the same issue to a federal court with jurisdiction over North Carolina.