NEW HAVEN, Conn. (WTNH) — Connecticut’s eviction moratorium will go through at least May 20, 2021. But Governor Ned Lamont says it may be longer depending on how the COVID-19 pandemic goes.

A spokesperson for the governor says it’s a priority to keep residents in their homes during the pandemic as many across the state struggle to make ends meet.

RELATED: National eviction ban extended through June 30, CDC says

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a separate national eviction moratorium that will extend through June 30.

Here in New Haven, Mayor Justin Elicker praised the governor’s commitment to keeping residents in their homes during these unprecedented times but acknowledges the burden that this continues to place on landlords across the state.

“Our economy is pretty fragile and a situation where a lot of people don’t have housing could affect people in other ways,” the mayor said.

Mayor Elicker says New Haven already faces a number of issues including affordable housing for residents, especially for those in underserved communities. Many of the city’s congregant shelters have closed to avoid having people in close quarters during the pandemic, so during these economically fragile times, city leaders say keeping people housed is an economic tool to get through the rest of the pandemic.

Mayor Elicker said, “If all of a sudden we had many many people across the city being evicted we just don’t have the capacity to manage that kind of situation…We don’t want to all of a sudden end the eviction moratorium because we could have a real problem where all of a sudden we have a lot of people without housing, we’ve closed our congregant shelters because we don’t want a lot of people living in close quarters together.”

Elicker says he’s been in communication with state leadership, adding there are services to help both struggling landlords and tenants through these continued unprecedented times.

“The state of Connecticut is offering United CT to help landlords and tenants and then the city is offering the castle program and both of those programs are to give landlords and tenants a little extra funding to help weather this storm,” he explained.

A storm that has wreaked havoc on the nation for over a year and one that has disproportionately impacted low-income residents in underserved communities across Connecticut.

“In cities like New Haven, if we all of a sudden had lots of people getting evicted, we would have a real problem on our hands and I think the Governor understands that…Housing and stability around housing are vital to anyone’s success.”

For more information and resources: https://portal.ct.gov/DOH/DOH/Programs/UniteCT and https://www.newhavenct.gov/civicax/filebank/blobdload.aspx?blobid=37902