Flood of evictions predicted
A group of affordable housing advocates, property owners and other housing stakeholders is asking Gov. Charlie Baker to use $215 million from the federal Coronavirus Relief Fund to prevent a flood of eviction filings when the state eviction moratorium expires as early as next week.
In a letter to the governor on Thursday, the Citizens’ Housing and Planning Association urged him to take “immediate action” before Oct. 17, when the moratorium is supposed to end.
“Too many residents are struggling to afford next month’s rent because of the continued spread of the virus, loss of federal unemployment benefits, persistent unemployment, and the challenges many parents face when they are unable to send their children to school for more than a few hours a day,” Rachel Heller, the nonprofit’s CEO, wrote.
CHAPA asked that $175 million be used to provide housing assistance to households impacted by
COVID-19. Tenants would pay 30% of their income toward rent and use up to $10,000 provided by the state for back rent and rent through March 31.
CHAPA also asked the governor to create a $25 million outreach campaign to connect tenants and landlords to housing resources in communities that have been disproportionately impacted by the coronavirus.
And the nonprofit is asking Baker to provide $15 million for low-income tenants and property own
ers in COVID-19 eviction cases to help them navigate the court process.
“The situation is dire,” Eric Shupin, CHAPA’s public policy director, said Friday, pointing to a Metropolitan Area Planning Council report released this week that found an estimated 60,000 Massachusetts renter households fear imminent eviction.
A spokesperson for Baker referred all questions back to comments he made earlier this week.
“We’ve been spending a lot of time with our colleagues in the court system and in the housing community,” Baker said, “and our goal is to put together a program that makes sure that we create what we would describe as stabilization for people.”
A federal eviction moratorium issued last month by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will remain in effect through Dec. 31. But housing advocates say that would not be enough to prevent tens of thousands of evictions in Massachusetts.
Boston Mayor Martin Walsh said on Wednesday that the city is facing a “potential crisis” when the moratoriums expire.
“The mayor strongly believes that the city … needs the state and the federal governments to do more to prepare to help prevent evictions,” Alexander Sturke, a spokesman for Walsh, said Friday.
More than two dozen landlords so far have signed a pledge to honor the federal eviction moratorium, create payment plans with tenants and work with voucher administrators for tenants with housing vouchers.