Memphis faces eviction crisis after court strikes down federal ban

On paper, Americans who have fallen behind on the rent are protected from eviction until July under a federal order. But at least three courts have recently issued rulings effectively nixing the eviction protection, leaving renters around the U.S. a step closer to homelessness.

Nowhere is this more evident than Memphis, Tennessee, according to legal experts and housing advocates. Local housing laws favor landlords over tenants, and while the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's moratorium and local restrictions temporarily slowed evictions, the federal court in the state's Western district ruled last month that the federal government likely exceeded its authority when it moved to halt evictions.  Although the government plans to appeal the case, eviction filings in Shelby County, which contains Memphis, have risen rapidly. Housing advocates also worry the city is a bellwether of what could happen elsewhere around the U.S. as the federal moratorium and many local eviction bans expire.