If you’re behind on your rent and have applied for assistance, there’s no need to pack your bags just yet. The State Supreme Court approved additional time for tenants in arrears to access aid. Charlotte Keith covered the extension on Bucks County evictions for Spotlight PA.

Federal eviction protections expired last weekend, with neither President Biden nor House Democrats able to extend them further.

Recognizing the gap between rent-related assistance and those needing it, the Commonwealth court issued the extension.

The local request was ahead of a potential glut of Bucks County evictions. At least 400 in-county tenants applied for rental assistance. But their paperwork was still under review when the federal moratorium elapsed.

“The immediate risk of countless, unnecessary evictions demanded this extraordinary action,” Joshua Goldblum, managing attorney of Legal Aid of Southeastern Pennsylvania’s Bristol office, said.

The Pa. Supreme Court’s uphold of the stay quelled any dissenting opinions on the matter, silencing one district judge’s objections to it.

The U.S. Department of Justice, the state Department of Human Services, and the White House have all publicly urged local courts to delay eviction cases.

“No one in America should be evicted when federal funds are available, in the hands of state and local government, to pay back rent due,” Biden said.

More on this story is at Spotlight PA.