Cook sheriff urges Pritzker to extend eviction freeze
Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart urged Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Wednesday to extend the state’s eviction moratorium that’s been in place during the coronavirus pandemic, citing concerns that households need more time to catch up with rent while assistance fund applications are pending.
In a letter to Pritzker and Cook County Chief Judge Timothy Evans, Dart urged the current Saturday expiration date be postponed until all city and county rent relief grants are dispersed.
“Like you, I have been tremendously concerned about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, not just on the health and safety of residents, but on the economic future of the entire community,” Dart wrote. “Obviously, it would be incredibly harmful to proceed with evictions when these funds are on their way to rescue so many tenants and landlords.”
Dart, whose office is in charge of enforcing evictions in Cook County, said while the current pause in evictions has helped, struggling renters remain anxious that the looming deadline on the moratorium is too soon. He wrote that waiting until the money is paid out will stop hundreds of thousands of Cook County residents from being pushed out of their apartments.
A Pritzker spokeswoman did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment. The governor has previously extended the moratorium.
A spokeswoman for Evans said the chief judge intends to keep the deadline of the county’s eviction moratorium in line with the state’s end dates.
The city’s $33 million rental assistance application opened at the end of July, while the county’s $20 million version for suburban residents launched earlier this month.
“Both groups are suffering unprecedented hardships,” Dart wrote about landlords and tenants. “Ultimately everyone will be better served by assistance funds that compensate landlords rather than just proceeding with evictions that endanger the health of vulnerable tenants and threaten the fabric of entire communities.”
In his letter, Dart also noted the risk to public health if the eviction moratorium ends as scheduled. He said that many people will crowd with family or friends or end up in shelters or on the streets after being pushed out of their apartments, thus increasing exposure to the virus.
Dart also warned Pritzker that the three renter programs “only scratch the surface of ultimate need” and pressed the governor to explore all avenues for financial relief as the nation continues to grapple with the economic fallout from the pandemic.
“A continued evictions moratorium coupled with aggressive pursuit of every possible avenue for financial relief for both property owners and renters provides the best opportunity for helping Cook County residents weather this unprecedented financial calamity,” Dart wrote.