Gov. DeSantis extends Florida eviction moratorium for another month late Monday night

Gov. Ron DeSantis has again extended the state's moratorium on evictions and foreclosures, again waiting until the absolute last minute – mere hours before said moratorium was set to expire on Monday night – before extending it.

DeSantis extended his executive order for one more month, until Oct. 1, for the fifth time yesterday. Once again, he did it as the clock ticked down to expiration.

Despite DeSantis' extension, the wording on the executive order was changed back on Aug. 1, narrowing tenant protections and effectively green-lighting landlords to begin filing eviction cases in Orange County courts. Hundreds have since been filed.

Locally, Orange County government launched an Eviction Diversion Program on Aug. 25, with $20 million in CARES Act funds going towards economic relief for renters and landlords. (Applications for this program appear to be still open here.) And Mayor Buddy Dyer announced Monday a proposed plan to use $1.5 million in CARES Act funds to assist renters with payments not made between March 1 and Oct. 31, 2020. An estimated 300 households are anticipated to be assisted by the funding available in this program.

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