UPDATED, April 3, 11:20 a.m.: Gov. Ron DeSantis suspended evictions and foreclosures for a period of 45 days in Florida in an emergency order issued late Thursday.
Homeowners and renters throughout the state are able to stay in their homes if they can’t make their mortgage or rent payments, as people struggle to pay their bills during the pandemic. The state’s unemployment system has become overwhelmed with filings from those who have been laid off or fired due to Covid-19. DeSantis also ordered executive agency heads, along with the state’s Department of Management Services, to aid the Department of Economic Opportunity.
In Florida, over 9,000 people have tested positive for the virus. It has killed 144 people in the state, according to the Florida Department of Health.
Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez suspended all eviction activity in mid-March.
It comes one day after he issued a 30-day statewide stay-at-home order to try to limit the spread of Covid-19. Floridians are only able to leave their homes to access essential services, which have included grocery stores, pharmacies and gas stations throughout the state.