The Trump administration has passed a nationwide eviction moratorium for people impacted by coronavirus who don’t have other housing options. 

The order applies to people who make less than $99,000 a year and who would either be homeless or living with other people if they were evicted. 

The Salvation Army of Orange and Osceola County’s Captain Ken Chapman says he has mixed feelings about it. He said he worries about landlords who haven’t been paid since the pandemic. 

And he says he’s also concerned about how renters will pay off months’ worth of missed rent as these bills are not being waived. 

“So we believe we’re going to see a new class of homelessness that we have not seen in this area before. I go to bed at night thinking about it, I wake up in the morning thinking about. It is heavy on my heart. We are not prepared.”

Chapman said homelessness is a public health crisis, and not just for those directly affected.

“We’re going to start to see homelessness encampments all over our area. Because there will literally be no place for people to go. Where are they going to eat? Then you’re going to have loitering that turns into mental illness and emotional stress. That turns into a crime wave. This is a major issue that we must address immediately.”

To get more news and information from this partner, subscribe here.