Temporary Halt in Residential Evictions

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky has signed an extension to the eviction moratorium further preventing the eviction of tenants who are unable to make rental payments. The moratorium that was scheduled to expire on June 30, 2021 is now extended through October 3, 2021.

The COVID-19 pandemic has presented a historic threat to the nation’s public health. Keeping people in their homes and out of crowded or congregate settings — like homeless shelters — by preventing evictions is a key step in helping to stop the spread of COVID-19. Read the order 

To be protected from eviction, a tenant must submit a declaration to their landlord that meets CDC requirements. If a tenant does not submit a declaration to their landlord that meets CDC requirements, they can be evicted; the CDC eviction protections are not automatic. Follow this link for the declaration form.

Looking for more information?

• CDC Temporary Halt FAQ 
• National Low Income Housing Coalition Overview of National Moratorium of Evictions 

Sarasota County Emergency Rental Assistance

Sarasota County Clerk of Courts

Evictions process and information can be found here.

Chapter 83 of the Florida Statutes provides general information on evictions. An eviction is the legal procedure a landlord must follow to remove a tenant from the landlord’s property. Although there are many types of evictions, the Clerk and Comptroller has information and forms available for the two most common types of evictions:

• Eviction for non-payment of rent with possession/damages or with possession only
• Eviction for non-compliance of lease

Sarasota Office of Housing and Community Development

The Sarasota Office of Housing and Community Development (OHCD) is a cooperative effort of the City of Sarasota and Sarasota County government and serves residents throughout Sarasota County, including the cities of Sarasota, Venice, and North Port.

Contact OHCD

Phone: 941-951-3640
TTY: 7-1-1 or 1-800-955-8771
Fax: 941-951-3647
Address: Sarasota Federal Building 111 South Orange Avenue, Sarasota, FL 34236

Contact Sarasota Housing Authority

Phone: 941-361-6210
Fax: 941-366-4661
Address: 269 S Osprey Avenue, Sarasota, FL 34236
Office Hours: Monday-Thursday 7:30 a.m.-5 p.m. (closed 12 p.m.-12:30 p.m. for lunch) Friday 8 a.m.-12 p.m.

Our Florida

Helping Floridians get back on their feet. Florida’s federally-funded emergency rental assistance relief program to support residents and businesses as they continue to recover and rebuild.

Florida’s CARES Act Funding

On June 25, 2020 Governor DeSantis announced $250 million in CARES Act funding for rental and mortgage assistance for Florida families that have been negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Rent and Mortgage Assistance

A separate pool of $120 million will be released to counties based on a county’s reemployment assistance rate for the determined disbursement period. These funds would be used for rental and homeowner assistance programs such as new construction, rehabilitation, mortgage buydowns, down payment and closing cost assistance, emergency repairs and homeownership counseling for individuals impacted by COVID-19. The allocation also includes $200,000 for technical assistance to local governments.

For additional program information or to speak to a representative, call Florida Housing’s toll-free Coronavirus Relief Fund Information Line at 1-888-362-7885. Open Monday – Friday 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Florida Housing Finance Corporation
227 N. Bronough Street, Suite 5000
Tallahassee, Florida 32301
(850) 488-4197

United Way’s 2-1-1

If you need further assistance paying your rent, mortgage, utilities and other necessities there are networks to support people in this time of crisis and the best way to find them is through United Way’s 2-1-1, a free 24 hour, 7 day a week, year-round service that connects area residents to critical health and social service resources.

There are multiple ways to access this resource:
By phone – Dial 211
By Email – uw211help@gmail.com
By Online Chat at – https://211.gs-humanservices.org/
By Text – Text zip code to 898-211

Mortgage Payment Suspension: Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac

Borrowers whose mortgages are owned by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac to delay payments. This forbearance program allows for a mortgage payment to be suspended for up to 12 months due to hardship caused by the coronavirus.

Federal housing officials have also announced a nationwide eviction and foreclosure moratorium for borrowers of Fannie or Freddie mortgages, or borrowers whose loans are backed by the Federal Housing Administration — so-called F.H.A. loans. This includes foreclosures that are already in progress.

To find out if Fannie or Freddie own your mortgage, you can search your address on this federal government site.

Federal regulators have told landlords whose own mortgages are owned by Fannie or Freddie that they too can use forbearance, just as long as they do not evict tenants after they pause their mortgage payments. The challenge for renters is figuring out whether their landlord has such a mortgage.

FHFA, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) created a combined website for housing information related to the COVID-19 pandemic. It can be found on the CFPB’s website at cfpb.gov/housing.

Banking & Mortgage Assistance

Here you will find a list of the banks location in our region. The information has been compiled through various sources, including the American Banking Association website. Please follow the link to each program/bank for the most up-to-date information.