Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak speaks at a press conference inside the Capitol Building in Carson City, Nev. on Thursday, July 9, 2020.
Gov. Steve Sisolak on Tuesday announced he has extended Nevada’s moratorium on residential evictions for another 60 days to the end of May.
That moratorium was set to expire at midnight Tuesday.
But he said this would be the last extension of that moratorium.
He also pointed out that the federal government just extended its moratorium for 90 days so once Nevada’s expires, landlords will be able to file eviction notices with the courts but won’t actually be able to evict anyone for another 30 days while the state works to get money to landlords and make evictions unnecessary.
He said the extension will allow much needed time for landlords and tenants in Nevada to develop the programs needed to get millions in federal rental assistance dollars out the door and into the hands of landlords.
He said the state is receiving millions in rental assistance money and needs to develop the programs that will get it out to those who need it.
“It does not make sense to put thousands of tenants in danger of eviction when thousands of dollars are available,” he said. “Landlords are struggling to. They deserve to be paid for the past year.”
Sisolak said this will also allow the time needed to ramp up the eviction mediation program.
“There is hope on the horizon for the end of this pandemic,” he said pointing out that vaccinations are increasing while positivity rates and the number of new virus cases is continuing to drop.
Shannon Chambers, head of Home Means Nevada and the state’s Labor commissioner, said all those involved from the courts to landlords, rental associations and tenants are working together to prevent mass evictions when them moratoriums expire.
“We cannot lose any more time,” she said.
She said the existing program provides a mediator to sit down with tenants and landlords to work things out and that they are prioritizing cases that do need rental assistance so that cases don’t end up in the courts.
Assistant Clark County Manager Kevin Shiller said people need to get their applications for help into the queue so they can be prioritized. That means providing proof of income, a tax return or other document.
And he said landlords need to file their paperwork.
Assembly Speaker Jason Frierson and Senate Majority Leader Nicole Cannizzarro, both Las Vegas Democrats, said lawmakers too are working on plans to help move things forward and prevent mass evictions in Nevada.
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