We asked the City Council for leadership…Now we’re awaiting their response.
I spoke to the City Council on Monday evening, with the backing of more than 40 community members who sent messages and placed calls, to urge them to enact a moratorium themselves or call on the Mayor to do it by executive action.
https://www.instagram.com/tv/CLNLdp_BoIe/
This isn’t a new request…While state and federal moratoria have been enacted (and have expired) at various points since March of 2020, it has been clear from the beginning that those measures alone weren’t sufficient. Since April of 2020 we have consistently communicated the need for our city leaders to intervene with meaningful city-level protections.
Since January 1st, 198 eviction hearings have occurred. 38 ended in eviction.
These numbers don’t capture all the households who were displaced even when their hearing didn’t end in eviction because the most common outcome is still an agreement to move–even for tenants who are represented. This outcome increases households’ risk of contracting COVID-19 and is detrimental to our community’s fight against the pandemic.
The entirety of the eviction process, from notice to removal, can happen in 14 days. The clock has been ticking for our leaders to act since April, but time has never been on the side of tenants who need protection the most. Stopping evictions now buys critical time to keep people housed while direct service providers tackle the tremendous task of distributing rent assistance to landlords.
We ask you to keep contacting the Mayor and City Council members via phone or email until they act. This certainly remains top of mind for us, our partners, and all of us who are concerned for the safety and well-being of our communities.