PANDEMIC.
>> THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE
CONTROL AND PREVENTION ANNOUNCES
A NEW MORATORIUM ON EVICTIONS AS
THE BAN FROM THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT ENDED LAST WEEKEND.
THIS TIME, THE MORATORIUM LASTS
UNTIL OCTOBER 3 AND IS INTENDED
TO HALT EVICTIONS IN COUNTIES
WITH HIGHER LEVELS OF COVID
TRANSMISSION.
THE BAN SURPASSES ILLINOIS'
SUSPENSION ON EVICTIONS SET TO
END AUGUST 31.
JOINING US FOR MORE ARE MIKE
GLASSER THE PRESIDENT OF THE
NEIGHBORHOOD BUILDING OWNERS
ALLIANCE.
AND MICHELLE GILBERT, LEGAL AND
POLICY DIRECTOR AT THE LAWYERS
COMMITTEE FOR BETTER HOUSING.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.
I WANT TO START OFF BY GETTING
YOUR REACTIONS TO THE NEWS.
MICHELLE GILBERT LET'S START
WITH YOU PLEASE.
>> WELL, WE'RE VERY HAPPY FOR
THE TENANTS IN THE STATE WHO ARE
VERY WORRIED ABOUT HOMELESSNESS.
ILLINOIS HAS ALWAYS HAD GOOD
MORATORIUM AND SO ALL OF
ILLINOIS NOT JUST THE COUNTIES
WITH THE HIGHEST ARE COVERED BY
THE GOVERNOR'S MORATORIUM.
>> AND MIKE WHAT IS YOUR
REACTION, PLEASE?
>> EVICTIONS ARE NOTHING THAT
HOUSING PROVIDERS WANT TO DO.
IT'S ULTIMATELY A LAST RESORT
MEASURE THAT WE WANT TO
SOMETIMES NEED TO PURSUE ONLY AS
A MEASURE OF LAST RESORT AFTER
ALL EFFORTS EXHAUSTED
THEMSELVES.
WE ARE IN FAVOR HAVING THIS
RIGHT AGAIN.
AT THE EARLIEST POSSIBLE TIME.
WE FIND THAT EVICTIONS A
NECESSARY TOOL THAT WE NEED AT
OUR DISPOSAL NOT TO PHYSICALLY
DISPLACE PEOPLE BUT TO CONTINUE
NEGOTIATIONS WHERE GEORGE
ACHESES HAVE NOT WORKED IN THE
PAST.
>> DO YOU THINK THIS WILL
PROTECT PEOPLE IN COOK COUNTY
AFTER ILLINOIS' EVICTION BAN
ENDS AT THE END OF THIS MONTH?
>> WE NEED TO SEE WHAT GOVERNOR
J.B. PRITZKER WILL DO NEXT.
THE MOST IMPORTANT THING AND I'M
GLAD TO HEAR THERE'S NO SPACE
BETWEEN US ON EVICTIONS BEING
BAD FOR BOTH HOUSING PROVIDERS
AND TENANTS.
THE THING WE NEED TO DO IS JUST
KEEP THE RENTAL ASSISTANCE
FLOWING.
IDA HAS DONE A GOOD JOB.
THEY HAVE $200 MILLION OUT THE
DOOR WE NEED TO GET MORE MONEY
OUT THE DOOR FASTER.
BECAUSE EVICTION IS A LOSE-LOSE
SITUATION.
THE RENTAL ASSISTANCE IS GOING
TO HELP THE LANDLORDS AND KEEP
THE TENANTS HOUSED.
>> MIKE, FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
THIS NEW FEDERAL BAN AND WHAT
COOK COUNTY HAS IN PLACE?
>> WELL, COOK COUNTY HAS
PREVENTED US OR IN THE STATE IN
GENERAL HAS PREVENTED US FROM
FILING EVICTIONS FOR COVERED
PEOPLE.
AND WHEREAS THE C.D.C.
GUIDELINES ARE MORE LANGS AND
THE C.D.C. GUIDELINES PREVENT
THE PHYSICAL EVICTION OF PEOPLE.
SO WE WELCOME THE OPPORTUNITY TO
BE ABLE TO FILE EVICTIONS AGAIN
ONCE AGAIN, BECAUSE THERE ARE --
I WANT TO SAY MOST TENANTS ARE
TERRIFIC AND HONORING THEIR
OBLIGATIONS.
MOST HOUSING PROVIDERS HAVE BEEN
TERRIFIC AND WHEN THERE'S
NEGOTIATIONS, THEY HAVE OFTEN
BEEN FRUITFUL AND HAVE ALLOWED
PEOPLE TO LIVE AND THE MEDIA
DOESN'T COVER THOSE SITUATIONS
IT'S NOT NEWSWORTHY.
THE MORE CHALLENGING INSTANCES
WHEN THERE IS NO COMMUNICATION
BETWEEN THE TENANT AND THE
HOUSING PROVIDER.
WE KNOW INSTANCES WHERE TENANTS
HAVE GONE 18 MONTHS AND WITHOUT
AN EVICTION OPPORTUNITY --
OWE NOT OPPORTUNITY BUT RECOURSE
IN PLACE OFTENTIMES HOUSING
PROVIDERS ARE STUCK WITH NO
ABILITY TO MOVE THE CASE
FORWARD.
WE'VE TRIED MEDIATION AND TRIED
INFORMAL DISCUSSION AND THAT IS
WHY WE FEEL THAT EVICTION THE
ABILITY TO FILE AN EVICTION CAN
OFTENTIMES GET THE NEGOTIATION
AND THE DISCUSSION TAKING PLACE
AT A MORE SERIOUS LEVEL WHERE
THE TENANT MIGHT UNDERSTAND HEY
IF I DON'T NEGOTIATE IN GOOD
FAITH I MIGHT HAVE TO PAY A
CONSEQUENCE.
>> DATA FROM THE ILLINOIS
HOUSING DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY
SHOWS THAT WITH THEIR RENTAL
PROGRAM THE ILLINOIS RENTAL
PAYMENT PROGRAM MORE THAN 22,000
APPLICATIONS HAVE BEEN FUNDED
OUT OF 95,000.
AND THAT IS ALSO OVER 187
MILLION DOLLARS.
BUT SOME APPLICANTS ARE HAVING
DIFFICULTY GETTING THAT MONEY.
MIKE, WHAT ARE YOU HEARING AND
YOUR REACTION TO WHAT MICHELLE
MENTIONED ABOUT THE MONEY NOT
FLOWING QUICKLY ENOUGH TO THE
PEOPLE WHO NEED IT?
>> I THINK IT IS A HUGE TASK FOR
ANY OF THESE GOVERNMENTAL BODIES
TO DISTRIBUTE AND ALLOCATE THIS
MONEY IN A FAIR MANNER.
I KNOW THAT IDENTIFY KA HAS
BEEN --
IDA HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED BY THE
NATIONAL LOW INCOME HOUSING
COALITION FOR BEING ONE OF THE
BEST IN THE COUNTRY FOR
ALLOCATING THE MONEY.
THE CITY ALSO IS FINALLY
DISTRIBUTING MONEY.
IT TAKES TIME TO DO IT RIGHT.
I KNOW EVERYBODY IS IMPATIENT I
KNOW MY COLLEAGUES ARE IMPATIENT
THEY WANT TO SEE THE MONEY.
BUT MY, GOD IT IS A TOUGH TASK
TO FIGURE OUT WHO DESERVES IT
AND HOW DO WE GET THE MONEY IN
THE RIGHT PEOPLE'S HANDS.
I APPLAUD THE EFFORTS THE CITY
AND THE COUNTY THERE WILL BE
MORE MONEY AGAIN.
>> AND TO THAT NOTE, MICHELLE IN
HERE ONE MORE TIME, IS THERE
STILL ASSISTANCE FOR RENTERS?
WHAT IS AVAILABLE?
>> THERE IS ASSISTANCE.
THE ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN
SERVICES.
TENANTS CAN CALL THOSE SERVICE
CENTERS FOR ASSISTANCE.
ALSO SOME CHICAGO DEPARTMENT OF
HOUSING DELEGATE AGENCIES STILL
HAVE RENTAL ASSISTANCE.
AND THE OTHER THING THAT IDA IS
DOING, THEY ARE IN A CURE PERIOD
RIGHT NOW.
SO IF A LANDLORD OR A TENANT
GETS AN E-MAIL FROM IDA IN FACT
I WOULD SAY SCAN YOUR E-MAILS
AND LOOK FOR E-MAILS FROM IDA.
BECAUSE IF YOU FORGOT TO CLICK
ON A DOCUMENT OR SOMETHING, YOU
CAN CURE THAT APPLICATION.
AND THAT IS GOING TO TAKE A
LITTLE BIT LONGER TO DO THE
CURE.
BUT CURE AND IS BETTER THAN
DENIAL.
>> SOUNDS LIKE THAT OPPORTUNITY
IS STILL THERE FOR THEM.