Despite the newly extended CDC moratorium on evictions, families who qualify for the order or have pending rent assistance application continue to be locked out of their homes
PHILADELPHIA—City Councilmember Helen Gym (At-Large) issued the attached letter and the following statement calling on the municipal court to halt all lockouts throughout the duration of CDC’s newly extended eviction moratorium that runs through October 3, 2021:
“At a time when the Delta variant is on the rise, and studies have found that evictions lead to an increased spread of COVID and deaths, I am calling on the courts to halt all lockouts throughout the duration of the CDC’s newly extended eviction moratorium.
“I have heard from families with young children who have been suddenly thrown out of their homes, with no notice and nowhere to go. In the coming weeks, there are over 300 lockouts scheduled for renting households who have applied for rent assistance but have not yet been approved. Lockouts are traumatic, dangerous, and counterproductive. We have built nationally renowned alternatives to eviction that can keep renters housed, and help landlords get paid. The City has distributed over $120 million in rent assistance, and has over $60 million left to distribute in the coming months. We now need the courts to give us time to limit the spread of COVID by keeping families housed.”
Letter to FJD – Lockouts (8.6.2021)
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