Program helps renters, landlords as eviction moratorium ends

TAMPA, Fla. - For many, making rent during a pandemic has not been easy. 

"It’s been a rollercoaster. The moratorium is on. Then it’s off. Then it’s on. It’s been a lot of confusion for a lot of people for residents and for landlords as well," University Area Community Development Corporation CEO Sarah Combs said.

Now, the CDC’s moratorium is off for good. On Thursday, in a 6-to-3 ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the CDC’s ban on evictions. In the ruling they wrote, "The moratorium has put ... millions of landlords across the country at risk of irreparable harm by depriving them of rent payments with no guarantee of eventual recovery."

"We want tenants to know that if they’ve received an eviction letter or any formal notification to reach out to us right away. There’s a certain number of things you have to do right away in order to protect your rights," Combs explained.

Combs said time is crucial. Renters should know as part of their rights they must be given advanced notice before being evicted. Also, a legal document known as a writ of possession must be filed by the landlord first for the eviction to go forward. 

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"All of this information is not regularly known to the regular person so that’s why we’ve launched this program so they can get the legal counsel that they need," Combs shared.

The UACDC’s eviction defense program was created in partnership with United Way Suncoast and Bay Area Legal Services to help landlords and tenants find financial assistance because a lot of it is still available. 

Earlier this year, Congress allocated $46.5 billion to the Emergency Rental Assistance Program but according to the U.S Treasury Department states and localities have only distributed about 11 percent of that money. Combs believes that’s because people simply don’t know about it.

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"It’s so incredibly important. The funding is there. We just need residents who are in that situation to reach out to us so we can get them connected to the services that they need and get their rent paid," Combs stated.

To help educate landlords and tenants, the University Area Community Development Corporation is hosting a special workshop on September 17 at 2 p.m. at the University Area Community Center located at 14013 N 22nd Street, Tampa, FL 33613.

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