As Mississippi continues to reopen its economy and return to some sense of normalcy, Governor Tate Reeves has announced that the suspension of evictions will expire on June 1st.
The Governor made the announcement during today’s press briefing, stating that he wanted to give Mississippians plenty of time to prepare for the expiration of the suspension.
“I want to give everyone enough time to get the money they need together to make a rent payment if you have fallen behind,” he said. “We have to recognize that housing doesn’t just happen and it doesn’t grow on trees. We cannot suspend evictions forever. This was a 2-month suspension that I hope, and I truly believe, has helped people get through this most painful time.”
The Governor added that facility owners must be able to make a living and he made the decision as they work to “balance multiple interests and try to make the best decision so that all Mississippians are best protected”.
“We wanted to give our people an opportunity to get through the absolute worst from a jobs standpoint, but we also understand that while we have had the ability to waive evictions, we don’t get to waive the ability of those who own these facilities from paying their rent, landlord, bank or financial institution.”
With experts warning of a possible resurgence of the virus in the fall, Governor Reeves noted that, based on any future developments, the suspension could be reimplemented.
On Tuesday, the Mississippi Public Service Commission voted to extend an order suspending disconnections of utility services across the state until May 26th.
