Citing the need to have the ability to self-quarantine during the COVID-19 pandemic, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has temporarily suspended evictions in Michigan via executive order on Friday.
The order, which takes effect immediately and stays in effect until April 17, allows tenants and mobile homeowners to stay in their home, even if they cannot pay rent.
“Families across the state are facing a number of uncertainties, from concerns about their health and well-being and that of their loved ones to when their next paycheck will arrive. Worrying about whether they’ll be evicted from their home, apartment or mobile home should not be on this list,” Whitmer said in a statement. “This executive order will ease a burden on families struggling to make ends meet and allow them to focus on what’s most important — staying safe and healthy.”
The order also relieves the courts from statutory restrictions that enables them to postpone eviction-related proceedings until after the emergency from COVID-19 has ended.
Officials say that the order — combined with the Wednesday order to extend the tax foreclosure deadline from March 31 to May 29 or 30 days after the end of the state of emergency — should “give renters and homeowners some peace of mind.”
“We continue to urge all Michigan families to remain focused on putting their health first and making smart decisions to help slow the spread of COVID-19,” said Jeff Donofrio, director of the Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity, in a statement.
Michigan currently has 549 confirmed cases of the coronavirus, spread across 11 counties and the city of Detroit, according to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. The illness has resulted in three deaths. Oakland County currently has the highest number of confirmed cases at 184, followed by the city of Detroit at 149 cases.
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Jordyn Pair is a reporter with Battleground State News and The Michigan Star. Follow her on Twitter at @JordynPair. Email her at [email protected].
