NEBRASKA- Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts temporarily banned evictions for 2 1/2 months near the start of the pandemic, before the CDC moratorium was in place. Ricketts' order expired at the end of May 2020. Nebraska has earmarked $200 million from the coronavirus aid package Congress passed in December to help tenants with back rent, utility bills and other expenses.

The program, which is managed by the Nebraska Investment Finance Authority, offers up to $20,000 in assistance to renters or homeowners who need help paying up to 15 months of their bills. But the aid is only available to people who make 80% or less of their county’s median income and can show they’re unable to pay rent because of a financial hardship caused by the pandemic or they’re at risk of becoming homeless.

So far, more than $15.8 million has been distributed to 4,420 households in Nebraska by the state agency and local programs in Lincoln and Omaha.

Nebraska's homeless ranks could swell once the eviction moratorium ends because evictions and homelessness are closely linked and there is a lack of low-income housing in the state, Mertz said. Although the number of evictions in Nebraska is expected to jump after the moratorium ends, it's not clear how many landlords are waiting to act once it expires and the rental assistance programs may prevent some evictions.

“It’s going to be a real shock to the system if the backlog is as high as some people fear,” Mertz said. Recent census data shows there were 10,150 adults in the state who feared they could be evicted within two months.

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