Worried about being evicted during the COVID-19 pandemic? Here’s a list of Coast resources.
Unless Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves extends a moratorium on evictions, renters who have lost their jobs because of the novel coronavirus pandemic could soon find themselves headed to court.
The moratorium expires April 20 and landlords are expected to begin filing for evictions as early as April 21 in county justice courts, said Harrison County Justice Court Judge Melvin Ray.
The Mississippi Center for Justice, a housing advocacy group, is already fielding calls in South Mississippi from tenants who say they are threatened with eviction.
Attorney John Jopling, housing law director for the MCJ, said some landlords, most notably in North Mississippi, have tried to skirt the moratorium by cutting off utilities that are in their names to force out renters.
But that is illegal, Jopling said. The center secured a temporary restraining order to prevent the shutoffs.
He expects eviction woes to mount in South Mississippi as thousands of casino employees and other service workers spend the last of the pay they received before recent layoffs.
The general rule, he said, is that low- to moderate-income families can miss no more than one or two paychecks before they are financially tapped out.
Reeves said during a news conference Wednesday that he will make a decision on a moratorium extension within the next day or two. He later indicated in a Tweet that he would announce the decision Friday morning.
At the news conference, he announced up to six months of mortgage relief to prevent foreclosure for homeowners affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Housing advocates say the eviction moratorium for renters should be extended, particularly because laid-off workers are having a hard time getting through to the Department of Employment Security for unemployment assistance.
Public utilities — electricity, sewer, water and gas — can’t be legally shut off through May 14 under a Mississippi Public Service Commission order. Southern District Commissioner Dane Maxwell says all South Mississippi public utilities, including cities and counties, are cooperating with the moratorium and trying to help their customers.
Below are resources and advice for renters who have lost their jobs because of COVID-19.
▪ If you can pay rent, do so. It will still be due once the moratorium is lifted, and late fees may apply. The same goes for utilities.
▪ Housing advocates, Justice Court Judge Melvin Ray and a Gulfport landlord who owns or manages dozens of rental properties said renters should communicate their situations early and often to landlords, paying what they can on rent.
▪ If you have questions or need advice about a potential eviction in South Mississippi, you can call the Mississippi Center for Justice during regular business hours: 228-435-7284.
▪ If you need an attorney, call The Mississippi Center for Legal Services at 1-800-498-1804 from 9:30 a.m. to noon on Mondays or 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday-Wednesday.
▪ A federal eviction moratorium signed that took effect March 27 for 120 days covers tenants in HUD, voucher-based and other types of covered properties and also protects homeowners with federally backed mortgages.
▪ In Hancock County, the Hancock County Resource Center is accepting requests for rental assistance with proof of immediate need due to COVID-19. Call 228-463-8887, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday-Thursday. You may need to leave a message because of high call volume. A staff member will return the call.
▪ More help will be available through federal funding designated for emergency housing needs due to COVID-19.
The Sun Herald will update this file with additional resources.
If you are having an eviction or utility cutoff issue, contact Staff Writer Anita Lee at calee@sunherald.com
This story was originally published April 16, 2020 at 12:00 AM.
