A national research and advocacy group gives Pennsylvania three stars out of five for the tenant protections it has enacted during the Covid-19 crisis.
While the rating from the Eviction Lab is a middling one, it is better than 40 of the 50 U.S. states. Three states earned four stars; six earned zero. (View the ranking here.)
"Without further action ... Pennsylvania could still see a surge of evictions soon after its protections expire," the Eviction Lab warns in its Covid-19 Housing Policy report card.
Pennsylvania enacted a statewide eviction moratorium as part of its judicial emergency declaration. It is set to expire May 11. Advocates fear a wave of evictions will follow, plunging families into crisis and exacerbating the pandemic's economic toll.
A separate 120-day federal moratorium applies to properties with federally backed mortgages.
In Lancaster County, President Judge David Ashworth has extended the emergency declaration to May 30. Courts and district justices are to reopen gradually here and rely on videoconferencing to conduct their proceedings.
For information on preventing eviction and advice on managing household finances during the pandemic, see Navigating Covid-19, a handbook compiled by Tabor Community Services and the Lancaster Housing Opportunity Partnership. It and other links are available on our Resources for individuals page.
