Read on Twitter
1/ 
https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="đ" title="Häuser" aria-label="Emoji: Häuser"> #Evictions, a thread about the myths and facts. And some key points from the 3-part @ncpolicywatch series I worked on.
You may have heard about a federal stay on evictions â first in federal housing, and
then the CDC moratorium since 9/4/2020. Why?
You may have heard about a federal stay on evictions â first in federal housing, and
then the CDC moratorium since 9/4/2020. Why?
2/ Studies have shown that keeping ppl housed reduces COVID deaths and infections. See https://bit.ly/3tDzSOa ">https://bit.ly/3tDzSOa&q... by @Duke scholars. If families struggling during COVID are to lose their homes, they end up on the street or in shelters. Read https://bit.ly/3asSeJX ">https://bit.ly/3asSeJX&q... by @NCHealthNews
3/ The #CDC #eviction moratorium does not apply automatically. It& #39;s not a ban on #evictions per se, but a stay on the execution of certain evictions. Think of it as a tool that tenants can use WHEN THEY MEET CERTAIN CRITERIA: loss of income bc COVID, having nowhere to go, etc.
4/ Moratorium â blanket immunity: To use the moratorium, tenants need to testify that they have lost their income/incurred expenses bc of COVID. They invoke the CDC protection by signing a declaration form, a LEGALLY BINDING doc.
5/ Those who face eviction are NOT lazy. Many of them lost their jobs, at least for a certain period during COVID, because they often work service jobs. Read pt1 of my series about the Rankins family. It does not take a lot for them to fall behind on rent. https://bit.ly/3apbKHr ">https://bit.ly/3apbKHr&q...
6/ https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="âď¸" title="Waage" aria-label="Emoji: Waage"> When NC tenants are taken to court, they must navigate a court system that historically favors landlords. They have to appear within a few weeks. Confused & intimidated, sometimes they don& #39;t show up knowing it& #39;s a lost cause. Read pt2: https://bit.ly/3xeazUO ">https://bit.ly/3xeazUO&q...
7/ The CDC moratorium made it clear: it doesn& #39;t preclude evictions as a result of criminal activities. But landlords MUST NOT use alleged criminal activities as an excuse to pursue nonpayment cases. See the CDC order, expiring https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="đ" title="Spiralkalenderblatt" aria-label="Emoji: Spiralkalenderblatt">6/30/21: https://bit.ly/3elwX63 ">https://bit.ly/3elwX63&q...
8/ However, the CDC and NC state moratoria leave a gray area: holdover cases where leases run out. Many leases automatically become month-to-month after 1y. Landlords can terminate the lease and file for eviction w/ a 7-day notice, no reasons required. https://bit.ly/3aoylE8 ">https://bit.ly/3aoylE8&q...
9/ Bottom line: "The patchwork of local, state, and federal moratoria have proven porous, needlessly complicated, poorly understood, and rarely enforced." @emilyabenfer describes in her article: https://bit.ly/3n70MM0 ">https://bit.ly/3n70MM0&q...
10/ Realtor/landlord groups are chipping away at the #evictionban. @NYTimes: https://nyti.ms/3v7MMEu ">https://nyti.ms/3v7MMEu&q... â @nardotrealtor spent $85M (No.1 spender) last year in federal lobbying to end the moratorium. @NAAhq asked Congress to lift it too.
11/ Landlords are losing a lot of income? Yes, some are. But there& #39;re ways for them to seek relief. They can sign rent relief programs, eg NC& #39;s HOPE. There& #39;s a statewide foreclosure moratorium. LLCs can apply for #PPP loans. Eviction& #39;s not the only solution in small claims court.
12/ The housing market is doing pretty well. @WSJ: https://on.wsj.com/2Qb7Ueh .">https://on.wsj.com/2Qb7Ueh&q... In NC, rents have https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="âď¸" title="Nordost gerichteter Pfeil" aria-label="Emoji: Nordost gerichteter Pfeil"> since last year. But 207K+, or 11.7% of all NC renter families are behind on rent. If evicted, where could they go with eviction records on their credit reports?
13/ Record-sealing cont& #39;d. Read @KathrynSabbeth& #39;s https://bit.ly/3amMsd1 :">https://bit.ly/3amMsd1&q... https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="1ď¸âŁ" title="Tastenkappe Ziffer 1" aria-label="Emoji: Tastenkappe Ziffer 1"> "court records often make it look like the landlord won even when they didnât" https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="2ď¸âŁ" title="Tastenkappe Ziffer 2" aria-label="Emoji: Tastenkappe Ziffer 2"> "The use of eviction records entrenches inequality along lines of race, gender, and class."
14/ Rental assistance: NC Families earning less than 80% of area median income can apply for the state rental assistance HOPE program. Program administrator #ncorr& #39;s Laura Hogshead: 92% of awardees earned below 50%. Plus "there& #39;s an awful lot of compliance reviews" re eligibility
15/ Rental assistance does not suffice to prevent evictions. Landlords are free to decline assistance, which may come with a noneviction period after signing/coverage. Some landlords did so for the prospect of flipping their house or raising rent. Read pt3 https://bit.ly/3aoylE8 ">https://bit.ly/3aoylE8&q...
16/ Some landlords are talking about "shifting the tenant base" to those who can pay more. @TheRealEGD warns of #segregation and #gentrification in a two-tiered housing market â Well-off tenants make it out of the crisis unscathed, others hemorrhaged by evictions & homelessness.
17/ Not to mention numerous studies have identified HUGE disparities in evictions: Black women with children often the target. More on gender dynamics in civil justice ft. @KathrynSabbeth: https://bit.ly/3edPvoY ">https://bit.ly/3edPvoY&q... & @emilyabenfer on tenants& #39; right to counsel: https://bit.ly/3xdtkYM ">https://bit.ly/3xdtkYM&q...
18/ If you& #39;re in need of rental assistance, you may try to use @NLIHC& #39;s tracker to look up for local programs https://bit.ly/3eo4FrA .">https://bit.ly/3eo4FrA&q... If you live in NC, call 211 to find out about available local programs. Contact @LegalAidNC to see if you qualify for legal assistance.
19/ I& #39;ll keep reporting on #evictions in N.C w/ my fellow reporters. For anyone who& #39;s interested in talking, my email is in my bio. @NCCourts Please pls consider making eviction data more accessible and available. @EvictionLab tracks evictions in many states thanks to #OpenGov
20/ Last but not least, a shoutout to our state& #39;s housing law profs, researchers, @LegalAidNC and many community orgs. Follow the amazing profs, @emilyabenfer of @WFULawSchool, @KathrynSabbeth of @unc_law, @JHamiltonMcCoy2 of @DukeLaw & @Dan__Rose of @WSSURAMS to stay informed.
