It was a moratorium that may have saved countless lives in the Delmarva region, keeping residents in their homes through the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

“While evictions always raise public health issues, those concerns are especially heightened during a pandemic,” said Daniel Atkins, executive director of the Community Legal Aid Society, which assists tenants in subsidized housing and can support private tenants. “Particularly in a pandemic, evictions are matters of life and death. Recently published studies have found that states that imposed moratoriums on evictions during the pandemic saved tens of thousands of lives.”

COVID-19 – which had its first case in the U.S. a year ago – has brought onslaught of change to day-to-day life. And eviction is a significant financial part of the coronavirus equation, with many in the U.S. having faced layoffs and pay cuts since the pandemic began.

Within the first few days of taking office, President Joe Biden signed a series of executive orders and actions, including one that extended eviction moratoriums through March.

Federal intervention has trickled down to local efforts. In Maryland and Delaware, Govs. Larry Hogan and John Carney signed orders that prohibited eviction, while agencies stepped in to help support those who can’t afford rent.

But the threat of evictions still hovers for many in the region once those moratoriums end.

Read more about how it could impact the region.