Protester hold a signs during a rally to prevent Massachusetts evictions in front of Boston Housing Court on October 15, 2020 in Boston, Massachusetts.
A moratorium on nonessential evictions for public housing residents in Boston is being extended until March 1, officials said Tuesday.
The Boston Housing Authority's ban on nonessential evictions was set to expire at the end of the year, but officials said it will continue to help residents struggling during the pandemic.
"The vaccine is on its way, and there's cause for optimism going into 2021, but now is not the time to take our foot off the gas. There were reasons we put this moratorium in place, and those reasons are still with us," Kate Bennett, administrator of the Boston Housing Authority, said in an emailed statement.
More on the coronavirus pandemic in Boston
"It's been a difficult year, with a dueling public health and economic crisis that has hit our communities hard," Boston Mayor Marty Walsh said in a statement. "This moratorium continues to serve the best interests of both our residents who struggle to make ends meet and of our city as a whole, as we fight to maintain the health and safety of our city."
The only evictions that will be allowed are those related to criminal activity and those necessary to "protect the health and safety" of residents, employees and others, officials said.
