Ban extended, but evictions loom
Moratorium here for now, but it will ultimately end
Thousands of evictions have been filed in Florida courts since the coronavirus pandemic began, and renters could find themselves in a quagmire when protections ultimately end.
At least 2,672 evictions are pending in the state, with landlords just waiting for a green light to oust their tenants, according to the nonprofit Community Justice Project of Miami, which provides, among other services, legal advice on housing for low-income workers.
More than a third of adults in Florida had reported that they missed June’s rent or mortgage payment, or said they won’t be able to pay July’s, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s most recent Household Pulse Survey. Nearly half also said they lost employment, and one in eight said their households at times didn’t have enough food to eat in the previous week.
Although Gov. Ron DeSantis has once again extended a moratorium on evictions, his order will not last indefinitely and possibly not long enough for renters to dig themselves out of a hole.
For the second straight month, DeSantis waited until the 11th hour to announce the extension. The moratorium was scheduled to expire at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday, and the new order extending it until Aug. 1 wasn’t released until after 8 p.m. Tuesday.
It applies only to residential property, not commercial buildings. DeSantis started the moratorium on April 2.
“I don’t understand the governor’s decision always to wait until the last minute when he knows people are suffering, and when he knows people are losing their homes and getting kicked out in the street,” U.S. Rep. Ted Deutch said in a telephone interview Tuesday.
Deutch, a Democrat whose district covers parts of Broward and Palm Beach counties, noted the House on Monday passed a housing protection and relief act that would extend a federal moratorium on evictions of renters and homeowners for a year. It also contains $100 billion in assistance for renters and $75 billion for homeowners. But Republicans vowed the bill would not clear the Senate.
A sudden stream of evictions would carry potential health ramifications. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention declares on its website that “health de
the bucket of fries have my name on them,” says Chouris, who confesses that her guiltiest pleasure – gyros – didn’t make the menu this time.
The drive-thru will be hosted from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday through Sunday, and patrons must enter through Gate 8, off Fairgrounds Road. Drivers will then follow a 1.5-mile loop – watch for signs – around the fairgrounds. Fair food items range from $2 to $11, although the majority costs $5-$7. Here’s a full menu.
While in queue, drivers will be approached by a masked server with a touchpad, who will relay togo orders to nearby concessionaires. Once orders are ready, another server will place them inside your vehicle. (Drivers must open their trunks or lower their windows.)
Concessionaires are required to sanitize serving counters every 30 minutes, pass a Florida Department of Health inspection, and employees must wash hands between tasks. Servers
and concessionaires will be required to wear masks and disposable gloves but visitors are not, although they can’t leave their vehicles.
There will be no pets allowed. Walk-up orders won’t be accepted and access to the fairgrounds’ public bathrooms is closed.
Nor can visitors park somewhere at the fairgrounds to eat their elephant ears, Chouris says. She realizes that carnival food is designed to be eaten at once, while the corn dogs are still hot and glisten with deep-fried sweat. But orders must be consumed offpremises to avoid interfering with the drive-thru, she says.
If the first Fair Eats DriveThru proves successful, and Chouris believes it will, there may be repeat events in July and August, she says.