Over 150 cities have passed some form of moratorium on evictions, foreclosures, and/or sweeps of unhoused people. However, many do not cover all evictions; have requirements on tenants to link financial hardship to COVID-19; are short in duration; and require tenants to pay back rent once the moratorium is lifted. This template model ordinance contains the elements of a strong policy from the Policy Summary to both halt current evictions and protect against future displacement. It was developed by the PolicyLink legal team based on the state model ordinance language developed by the National Housing Law Project, as well as language from existing ordinances. If you would like to request an editable copy of the ordinance, along with additional legal information, please fill out our contact form.