Can’t pay your rent? Assistance may be coming
As the state Supreme Court extended a statewide moratorium on evictions through May 11, figures in the rental housing field continue to work through options to deal with the economic fallout of COVID-19.
A Tuesday order from the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania Western District extending the state judicial emergency through June 1 states that “no officer, official, or other person employed by the Pennsylvania Judiciary at any level is authorized to effectuate an eviction, ejectment, or other displacement from a residence based upon the failure to make a monetary payment through April 30. All terms of those ordered related to dispossession of residences are extended until May 11.”
“The problem is if people aren’t able to pay rent right now, when that’s lifted we can see an increase in eviction,” said Phyllis Chamberlain, executive director of the Housing Alliance of Pennsylvania.
Chamberlain said those seeking rental assistance should call the United Way-sponsored 211 phone line to learn about available state and federal resources.
The Housing Alliance is anticipating state Sen. Vincent Hughes, D-Philadelphia/Montgomery, to introduce legislation extending the moratorium an additional 60 days.
“That gives time for a payment plan or deferral of payment that would help avoid eviction,” said Chamberlain. “In many cases it’s in the financial interest of landlords to not have to start eviction and turn over a unit. It may be in their best interest to figure out what they can work out.”
Initial estimates from the Housing Alliance state 15 percent of the rental houses will be impacted by employment loss or reduced hours, or about 200,000 Pennsylvania households.
According to U.S. Census data in a January 2020 fact sheet from the Housing Alliance, “there are 22 affordable and available rental homes for every 100 extremely low-income renter households in Delaware County,” compared to a statewide average of 42 per 100.
“Low-income renters have been fairly heavily hit. They’re more highly represented in the industries facing highest rates of job loss,” said Chamberlain. “The biggest action that the state could take in order to protect renters would be increase the availability of rental assistance. It helps tenants avoid eviction and it helps landlords … a lot of them are operating pretty small businesses on tight margins.”
In the absence of government action, “in times like these communication is paramount” between all involved parties, said Darren Sudman, owner of Norristown-based CDI Properties. “Banks are impacted … landlords are impacted … tenants are impacted … it’s kind of foolish for any particular group to dig in their heels and demand payment when we’re all going through this together,” he said.
Sudman raised concerns about landlords mainly dealing with middle- and upper-class tenants. Owners used to regular rent payments without incident may now face tenants being unable to pay.
“We deal with a lot of low income tenants and we’re always accommodating. They’re always one … flat tire or doctor’s office co-pay away from not having disposable income,” he said.
Sudman called out for any legislative action to be “very well thought out and all stakeholders to be considered,” as resolution to tenant-landlord issues need to be addressed on a case-by-case basis in his view.
“It’s really a case-by-case situation. Legislation is incapable of addressing case-by-case situation. It has to be broad sweeping and figure out what the denominator is,” he said. “But these are drastic times. I think anyone who comes to the table who comes to the table with a compassionate frame of mind is probably going to do something better than worse.”