N.C. Gov. Roy Cooper signed three bills into law Thursday, Dec. 9, but also vetoed three bills. Getting the veto stamp were House Bill 220, Choice of Energy, and Senate Bill 725, Prohibit Private Money in Elections Administration, which would have banned private groups from funding local elections offices in North Carolina. The issue came up when a group founded by Mark Zuckerberg provided money for elections in 2020 in communities that leaned Democrat.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a new residential eviction moratorium that will offer protection from eviction for most renters in North Carolina. The moratorium, which will remain in effect through Oct. 3, 2021, applies in U.S. counties experiencing substantial and high levels of community transmission of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that triggers COVID-19.
North Carolina’s emergency rental assistance program has opened a second application period for very low-income renters that are experiencing financial hardship due to COVID-19. The N.C. Housing Opportunities and Prevention of Evictions (HOPE) Program promotes housing stability during the ongoing pandemic by providing rent and utility bill assistance to prevent evictions and utility disconnections.