Rent is due and many lose extra help

08/01/2020 Health


But the rent is still due. For people who relied on those protections, this month may usher in new challenges.

“Emergency rental assistance must be a priority,” said Priscilla Almodóvar, executive director of Enterprise Community Partners, a national nonprofit home that develops affordable housing. “It is a key factor in preventing evictions that mean homelessness.”

Up to 23 million tenants are at risk of losing their home, according to a report by the Covid-19 Eviction Defense Project and the Aspen Institute’s Financial Security Program, as moratoriums expire in jurisdictions across the country. According to the report, one in five tenants is at risk of being evicted in the fall, with the undocumented, people of color and low-income tenants being the most vulnerable.

“I hope we see many families pushed into homelessness just as we begin the school year, which is already fraught with complications,” said Erin O. Planalp, managing attorney at Iowa Legal Aid. “But I hope we can build on our connections in the community and partner with the owners to try to give people a little more time.”

For people who can’t pay their rent this month, the good news is that there may be more resources available for rent relief than when the pandemic started.

Know what protections you have

If you can’t pay the rent, talk to your landlord. Many will agree to make partial payments or establish a payment plan. But if you still can’t pay the rent, you need to know what protections you have to prevent eviction.

Eviction moratoriums, which are arrests of landlords who request or carry out the removal of a tenant, have been put in place to prevent tenants from losing their home during the health crisis. But they have been irregular and confusing. There were moratoriums at the federal or local level, for different types of households and for varying amounts of time.

The largest federal ban on evictions expired on July 24. Included in the Coronavirus Economic Aid, Relief and Security Act (CARES) and known as the CARES Act eviction moratorium, it protected tenants in federally supported or federally supported housing from being evicted for nonpayment. for rent. This was close protection that covers only one in four rental homes, according to the Urban Institute, but if you’re in that category, it’s one less protection you have.
But two other protections are still in force. FHA, VA and USDA have extended eviction protections in some situations for single-family tenants through August 31. Separately, if your landlord gets CARES mortgage relief on the home you rent, then you may be protected from eviction for a longer period.

At this point, tenants are more likely to be protected by a local moratorium, which may have been extended or remain in place.

These protections are based on where you live. For example, in New York State, the governor extended the eviction moratorium until August 20. In Washington, the moratorium on evictions was extended until October 15 and in Massachusetts until October 17. You can check the status on your status at Eviction Lab.
Or your protection may come from the type of home you have. The Philadelphia Housing Authority announced that it would extend a moratorium on eviction for non-payment of rent until March 15, 2021. This action is an effort to secure the 80,000 low-income residents of the authority, who have been ” disproportionately affected by the virus, “they can maintain housing stability during this time of economic uncertainty, according to Kelvin A. Jeremiah, president of the PHA.

But no matter what protection you are in the eviction moratorium, the rent is not forgiven. Unpaid rent is still due and will still have to be paid eventually to avoid eviction.

Scope to find aid funds

The CARES Act allocated money to states and communities to use for rent relief. But connecting needy tenants to money is difficult, legal aid workers say.

For anyone who hasn’t paid their rent, it’s hard to understand how difficult it is to live in a constant state of emergency, Planalp said. “There is this fight or flight response. It is only difficult to take steps to resolve it for you and your family.”

The National Low Income Housing Coalition estimates that at least $ 100 billion in emergency rental assistance will be needed due to the pandemic, and lists the help available. Some states have established their own web portals for rental assistance. If you are a resident of Iowa or Arizona, for example, you can answer some questions to determine your eligibility for help.

“There are a lot of funds out there,” Planalp said. “But there are multiple programs, and each program has its own criteria.”

Still, much of these aid funds leave people out, he said. Undocumented or lawless tenants are not eligible for relief from the CARES Act.

Other information on local housing assistance resources can be found through the Department of Housing and Urban Development and a list of state-by-state, non-profit aid organizations at Just Shelter.

“The assistance is there,” said Planalp. “We have to connect people to the right program and give them enough time to apply so they can get the relief they need before they lose their home.”

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