Link | Publication: Erin MacPherson, WMAR | Date: Dec. 29, 2020
Excerpt
The stimulus bill, if passed, would supply some much-needed relief to people all throughout the country but for those who are facing eviction notices, this is just a temporary relief and not stability for the future.
“I don’t want anyone else to have to experience that nor do I want to go back to it if possible,” said Jeffrey Gray-Gilliam.
He’s referring to when he was homeless after he lost his job during this pandemic. Now, he’s only surviving because of help from the Housing Opportunities Commission, a government organization that helps with affordable housing.
Now, state delegates are working on eviction prevention legislation.
“Our most effective protection from COVID-19 has been to stay at home, but now hundreds of thousands of Marylanders are at risk of losing their homes, they’re safety and security during a time when this pandemic continues to ravage communities,” said Delegate Jheanelle Wilkins, District 20, Montgomery County.
When the Maryland General Assembly reconvenes in January, they plan on introducing the Housing Justice Package which would prohibit most evictions until April 2022, urge landlords to avoid evictions when possible and give tenants a lawyer.
“Providing counsel at the time of an eviction case, prevents eviction and actually saves the state money compared to having to provide emergency expenditures when a family goes into homeless,” said Zafar Shah, an attorney with the Public Justice Center. He added, “we have to slow down the eviction and foreclosure processes so that assistance can actually get to people.”