The Supreme Court ruling to end the eviction moratorium marked a huge blow to the Biden administration.
Between Palm Beach, Martin, and St. Lucie Counties there are 1,459 pending evictions. Some believe the moratorium ending will open the flood gates for many more filings.
"The flood gates were already open because there are already a lot of people who can’t afford to live here in Palm Beach County," said James Green, the Palm Beach County Director of Community Services Department.
Landlords once again having the right to serve eviction notices, in addition to the lack of affordable housing is creating a slew of problems for Palm Beach County. According to Green, the county has paid out roughly 60 percent, or $26 million, of the federal rent relief funds that were allocated. He tells CBS12 News that has helped more than 8,000 local families stay in their homes.
The eviction moratorium has prevented families from being thrown out to the streets, while paperwork is processed. However, following Thursday's Supreme Court ruling, Green fears time has run out.
"We are just going to work overtime and continue to do what we need to do to ensure individuals have access to this system," he told CBS12 News. "So we have less than $20 million remaining. We are scheduled to spend those dollars in October if we continue at this pace. We are just hoping that we can help as many residents as possible."
"What does the ending of the eviction moratorium mean for landlords in Florida?" Asked CBS12 New Reporter Stefany Valderrama.
"Almost nothing," said Paul Howard, the President of the Florida Landlord Network. "The CDC moratorium is very, very narrow, in terms of who it impacts."
Despite the eviction moratorium ending, tenants facing eviction could file a CDC affidavit with the courts. That would allow them to stay in their homes through October 3, 2021, if the court rules in the tenant's favor. According to CDC guidelines, if transmission rates are considered "high," the court should rule in favor of a tenant filing the affidavit.
Right now, CDC data shows all of Florida is considered "high transmission."