ATLANTA — The Atlanta City Council took action Tuesday to help people who have trouble paying their rent.
The council ratified Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms order calling for a temporary moratorium on some evictions for the next 60 days.
The city of Atlanta is doing this because of the economic problems the coronavirus shutdown is causing people. But not all metro cities are providing that relief.
Many viewers have contacted Channel 2’s Michael Seiden, saying they were laid off and won’t be able to pay their rent.
[SPECIAL SECTION --> Latest on coronavirus in Georgia and around the world]
“You know, bills are everywhere. They’re still piling up. They’re not stopping and I’m just waiting for some funds to come through,” said renter Genese Chrispin, who is a mother who runs a small business.
She’s been waiting for her small business loan and unemployment check to arrive to help make ends meet.
But the eviction notice came on April 1. She found the letter on the front door of her Riverdale apartment Monday.
“I just went numb. I’ve been here since November. Always pay my rent before the third. Never late. Never no issues and all of the sudden all this crazy because of the COVID.”
RELATED STORIES:
- DeKalb County schools will end academic year earlier than planned
- Stimulus checks: When will you get the payment and how much will it be?
- Atlanta TSA officer dies of coronavirus
On Tuesday, the city of Atlanta made a move to keep some renters from getting that eviction notice the City Council voted unanimously to delay filing any eviction against tenants in city public housing for 60 days.
“You not only have an extension of time, but you can now apply for city assistance,” said Ayanna Jones-Lightsy with the Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation.
She told Seiden that while courts are closed because of coronavirus, landlords can still file evictions. But a judge won’t be able to hear the cases until court reopens.
Lightsy said it can take weeks for tenants to be evicted when the courts are up and running, so that 60-day rule is a big help for Atlanta public housing tenants.
“We have a shelter- in-place suggestion right now, so you have to make sure that people have shelter. But once that shelter-in-place is lifted, its almost like we’re looking at well everybody’s got to fend for themselves and hope you don’t become homeless,” Lightsy said.
Channel 2’s consumer adviser Clark Howard said there is one thing you can do to for yourself to stay in your home.
“Let your landlord know your circumstance and see what you can work out with your landlord whether it’s an individual or a big impersonal company,” Howard said.
Howard said landlords may accept partial payments if you’re out of work and a huge number of rental properties are owned by individuals, not big businesses.
“The small landlords who are being hurt so directly in the wallet, have generally been more accommodating,” Howard said.
“I feel like if I work with them now, they will be there for me in the long run,” metro landlord Edward Myers told Seiden.
Myers rents five properties in the Savannah area. Four of his tenants were able to make rent last month. He says for now, eviction is not on the table for his tenants. But the rent checks he doesn’t collect will be missed.
“I’m not a big conglomerate with deep pockets,” Myers said. “For the little guy like me, I’ve got a family, and a home, and a mortgage, and those types of things.”
Chrispin said she told her landlord what was going on, but they weren’t as understanding as Myers.
“I actually communicated with them several times, but she was like ‘keep me posted.’ But I’m still waiting on funds.”
Myers says in a pandemic, landlords need to be understanding if they can.
“We’re all going to get through this together and if we all look out for each other now, you know this won’t last forever and things will clear up,” Myers said.
There are a lot of landlords that cannot evict you right now. If the property you rent is involved in certain government programs or has a federally backed mortgage, you should be safe from eviction for now.
You need to talk to your landlord early, especially if you’re having trouble making rent payments.
© 2020 Cox Media Group
