Sheriff ’s department issues eviction moratorium over holiday season
The Lake County Sheriff’s Department issued a moratorium on evictions during the holiday season between Dec. 5 and Jan. 9. The office will also halt any new eviction payments by 4 p.m. Wednesday, according to Cmdr. Lessie Smith with the sheriff ’s department.
Eviction notices can still be posted during this period but the moratorium prohibits Lake County officers from enforcing the notice.
“The Lake County Sheriff’s Department will continue to serve and post eviction notices per Lake County Court order during this time but the Sheriff ’s Department will not physically evict anyone from residences until after the moratorium ends,” Lake County Sheriff Oscar Martinez Jr. said in a news release.
For Lake County, the holiday eviction moratorium has become a long-standing tradition, Smith said. “I’ve been [with the sheriff ’s department] 33 years, we’ve done it every year.”
“Sheriff ’s Departments here and across the country hold moratoriums, and they are not unique to the Lake County Sheriff ’s Department,’’ Martinez said in a news release. “Many administrations before mine have issued moratoria, as well.”
Neighboring Porter, Jasper and Newton county do not hold the same tradition of a monthlong pause on evictions.
The North Township Trustee — a government agency that services East Chicago, Hammond, Highland, Munster, Whiting and Griffith — provides financial assistance to residents struggling with rent, mortgages, utilities and burials.
“We are a last resort for our clients that have exhausted all other efforts of assistance that are available,” Diana DeLeon, chief of staff for the North Township Trustee’s Office, said.
North Township is the second most populous of Indiana’s 1,005 townships, and handles 200-300 clients a month.
“Our role is to provide rental or mortgage assistance … we don’t if someone comes in and says they’re looking for an apartment, that’s not the type of services we’re able to provide, but once a client has secured an apartment or a house then we can step in and offer financial assistance,” DeLeon said.
During the COVID19 pandemic the federal government issued a nationwide eviction moratorium which took effect Sept. 4, 2020 and lasted until July 31, 2021, and issued a limited extension on counties with surging coronavirus cases which lasted until Oct. 3.
“As Sheriff, this is something I believe in to give families a bit of a break. I refuse to put struggling families on the street during the holidays,” Martinez said