County of Mecklenburg issued the following announcement on Dec. 15.
On Dec. 15, 2020, Mecklenburg County became one of over 800 organizations and officials across the United States to sign a "Call to Action." The petition asks the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to extend, strengthen, and enforce its eviction moratorium to keep renters in their homes for the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic. To read the full sign-on letter which was initiated by the National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC), visit the NLIHC website.
The current CDC-enacted eviction moratorium is set to expire on Dec. 31, 2020. While the moratorium has helped postpone evictions from occurring, it offers no protections against either back rent owed or the accumulation of legal fees. Failure to extend the eviction moratorium or provide additional financial assistance to households and/or landlords, poses a significant economic and public health crisis.
According to the National Council of State Housing Agencies (NCSHA), eight million renter households (comprising 20 million people) will likely face eviction in January 2021 if the moratorium is not extended. In North Carolina, there is an estimated rent shortfall of between $632 - $824 million; as many as 240,000 eviction filings are predicted statewide. UNC Charlotte Urban Institute has estimated that there are 10,535 households in Charlotte-Mecklenburg that are at greatest risk of eviction. Housing instability and homelessness will widen gaps, worsen disparities, and negate economic mobility efforts just as we've seen previously before the pandemic.
Mecklenburg County remains committed to the work of ending and preventing homelessness. Effectively addressing housing instability and homelessness requires support from the public and private sectors at the local, state, and federal levels. To sign on to the letter supporting the extension of the national eviction moratorium, please click here.
Original source: https://www.mecknc.gov/news/Pages/Mecklenburg-County-Joins-National-Effort-to-Extend-CDC-Eviction-Moratorium.aspx
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