As the novel coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic gathered steam, US lawmakers moved to protect newly unemployed Americans from evictions.
But now, eviction freezes are set to expire on various dates before the end of the summer.
According to Business Insider, roughly 20% of Americans were unable to pay all or part of their rent in April, May, and June.
That’s left millions potentially vulnerable to eviction. If that’s the case for you, start by trying to negotiate a deal with your landlord.
If he or she won’t deal, secure the services of an attorney. If you can’t afford one, contact your local legal aid society for help.
Educate yourself on your city, county, and state laws. Know your rights.
Finally, do some digging. Find local charities, organizations, and places of worship that might help with rent payments, and ask them for help. Now.
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The COVID-19 pandemic has led to millions of Floridians facing significant civil legal issues which threaten their livelihoods, families and homes.
State Rep. Anna Eskamani, D-Orlando, at a recent town hall in Rockledge. (Photo: MALCOLM DENEMARK/FLORIDA TODAY)
I know this firsthand, because our legislative office has been fielding thousands of calls and emails from across the state, supporting Floridians who are facing issues like eviction, foreclosure, bankruptcy, and domestic violence. The options for legal representation are limited, and as public servants, we often look towards civil legal aid organizations as a safety net for Floridians navigating these crises.
We’re now six months into this pandemic. A fourth Congressional relief package is unlikely, thousands of Floridians are facing the potential of homelessness, and more Floridians are seeing their furloughs extended or are losing their jobs entirely. With every late monthly payment and eviction notice posted on someone’s door comes the need for civil legal aid. Yet in Florida, this essential service is both underfunded and severely strained.
That’s why I am urging Gov. Ron DeSantis to use a portion of the remaining $5.8 billion in Florida’s Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act monies to fund civil legal aid through the Florida Bar Foundation. Since 1956, the Florida Bar Foundation has served as our state’s hub for civil legal aid funding and assistance, linking all of Florida’s qualified legal aid providers throughout the state.
More than 40 legal aid programs in Florida are working on cases around the clock that involve housing, domestic violence and more that have arisen from COVID-19. The use of CARES Act funds for this purpose falls squarely within its intent: Fund necessary expenditures incurred due to COVID-19 that were not previously in the existing budget.
Moreover, such funding will help ensure that Floridians are provided the due process they deserve in the thousands of lawsuits brought by residential landlords and lenders who are defying both the state’s Executive Order putting a moratorium on evictions and foreclosures, and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s most recent order halting residential evictions until December 31, 2020.
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Gov. Ron DeSantis holds a press conference at the State Emergency Operations Center Friday, July 31, 2020. (Photo: Alicia Devine/Tallahassee Democrat)
It is in every person’s interest – especially during a global pandemic – to protect Floridians from eviction, and that’s exactly what funding civil legal aid will do.
Legal aid is a service essential to our communities – it is an economy builder and protects the rule of law. It prevents small legal issues from snowballing into large problems for veterans, children, the elderly, small business owners, and countless other working poor and vulnerable Floridians. A 2016 study found that civil legal assistance in Florida generates $7.19 of economic impact for every $1 spent on legal aid by federal, state and local governments and foundations.
More: Economic Impacts of Civil Legal Aid Organizations (via Fla. Bar Foundation)
COVID-19 has dramatically impacted our economy, and Floridians deserve access to expert legal help that will get them back on their feet, allowing them to contribute and participate in the nation’s collective recovery. CARES Act funding would help make that happen, facilitating both support and justice for people across this state.
Please join me in urging Gov. DeSantis and other elected officials to support CARES Act funding for and access to civil legal aid. Call (850) 717-9337 or email [email protected].
Eskamani, a Democrat representing District 47 in the Florida House of Representatives, was first elected in 2018.
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