The COVID-19 pandemic has created a housing crisis across the country, and we at the UU Church of Canton recognize that action must be taken to protect our communities. According to Moody’s Analytics, it is estimated that as of January all delinquent renters in the USA owe $53 billion in back rent, utilities, and late fees. (NYTimes)
During this time, many are subletting rooms in their homes to meet their monthly rent, and these subletters often do not have a lease to make them eligible for renter’s assistance. According to nation-wide nonprofits like Family Promise, “people without leases constituted an outsize share of the group’s requests for rental aid and assistance.” (NYTimes)
Federal Response to Housing Crisis
In response to this, the federal government approved $25 billion in rental aid, and has now extended the eviction moratorium through March. Included in President Biden’s COVID-19 Relief Plan is $30 billion in rental aid and an extension of a ban on evictions and foreclosures until the end of September 2021. The relief plan is still being debated in Congress.
New York State Response to Housing Crisis
In December, the New York State passed the COVID-19 Emergency Eviction and Foreclosure Prevention Act to protect tenants, homeowners, and small landlords. This bill created a Standardized Hardship Declaration Form, which tenants can submit in court or to their landlords to prevent or suspend an eviction until May 1, 2021. Homeowners can declare hardship and protect themselves against foreclosure until the same date. While this is useful, opponents to the bill believe the eviction moratorium serves to only “kick the can down the road,” supplying a temporary solution to the larger problem. (National Law Review)
Local Response to Housing Crisis
In St. Lawrence County, eviction applications increased by 75% in 2021. The current estimate from the Rural Law Center is that about 260 eviction application were filed over the last four months in St. Lawrence County, and about 100 eviction applications were filed in Franklin County. Most of these eviction applications are being held off by the moratorium, however there is no plan for dealing with the hundreds of eviction applications when the moratorium runs out.
More coming soon about actions we can take locally, stay tuned to this page!