ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. — The St. Louis County Council passed an eviction moratorium Tuesday, putting a pause on evictions until after the new year.
The council voted 7-0 to approve the temporary bill, and a spokesman for County Executive Sam Page said he will sign it. The moratorium will take effect immediately after being signed and will last until Jan. 5.
The bill was introduced by Councilwoman Lisa Clancy.
According to the bill, St. Louis County residents who have "used best efforts to obtain all available government assistance for rent or housing" and earned no more than $99,000 in calendar year 2020 are eligible under the moratorium. Eligible residents must provide a completed and signed copy of a declaration saying they are eligible.
The Council also set aside another $5 million from the American Rescue Plan for "support of eviction prevention efforts and housing stability services." St. Louis County received $29 million in CARES Act funding to help with rental assistance.
The federal eviction moratorium ended in late August.
The Associated Press last week reported evictions have been rising in most of the 31 cities and six states where the Eviction Lab at Princeton University collects data. Evictions in September increased 10.4% from August. October numbers were 38% above August levels and 25% higher than in September. Filings fell around 7% from October to November and now remain nearly 48% below pre-pandemic levels.
You can read the full bill below.
