Officials pleased w/ eviction moratorium extension

With the nationwide eviction moratorium now set to expire at the end of July, the city of Tulsa and its community partners are equipped with more time to provide continued support for tenants and landlords who have been uniquely affected during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Biden administration announced Thursday that the nationwide ban on evictions would be extended for a month to help tenants who are unable to make rent payments during the coronavirus pandemic, but it said this is expected to be the last time it does so.

Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, extended the evictions moratorium from June 30 until July 31. The CDC said Thursday that “this is intended to be the final extension of the moratorium.”

The Rev. Jeff Jaynes, executive director of Restore Hope Ministries, called the announcement a “breath of fresh air” that will temporally alleviate the burden and uncertainty for residents and property owners.

“By allowing more time to process those applications, that gives up more time to get that assistance out and remove the burden from tenants and also help those landlords,” Jaynes said, whose program provides rental assistance. “It is a big win for those who are facing these struggles.”

Various programs, such as the Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) and the Gold Star Landlord program have helped fill in the void for Oklahoma tenants and property owners.

Since the launch of ERAP in March, the city and Restore Hope have successfully distributed nearly $4 million in rental and utilities assistance to more than 1,000 households affected directly or indirectly by COVID-19 who have had difficulty paying rent and utilities since April 1.

In addition to ERAP, the Tulsa’s Gold Star Landlord Program has provided incentives and rewards for landlords and property managers who engage in the best rental practices. Currently, there are more than 12 Gold Star landlords in Tulsa.

Katie Dilks, executive director of the Oklahoma Access to Justice Foundation, said an estimated $30 million in rental assistance has helped both tenants and property owners.

City and county stakeholders had made a commitment earlier this year to help residents pay overdue rents and utility bills with funding from the $900 billion COVID-relief bill approved by Congress last December.

“The extension buys us valuable time while we work with partners to get rental assistance to landlords and coordinate additional supports with the court,” said Becky Gligo, executive director of Housing Solutions Tulsa, in a statement. “We will continue to advocate for solutions that work for both landlords and tenants.”

The extra time also allows for the thousands of rental assistance applications already on the books to be processed and gives officials chances to inform the public about existing programs and groups that furnish aid.

“Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, we had less than a third of the number of affordable rental units necessary to meet overall need,” said city of Tulsa housing coordinator Kristin Maun. “With the end of the CDC eviction moratorium, a tsunami of evictions would lead to a tsunami of homeless households. This extension will provide more time for landlords and tenants to use essential resources like rental assistance and mediation to avoid the high cost of eviction to our community.”

And even after the pause on evictions expires after July, the assortment of nonprofit entities throughout the city and county will still be accessible for both landlords and renters, Jaynes said.

Ultimately, he advised that both individuals and property owners explore ways to find reasonable resolutions through third-parties or via area legal aid services.

“Those scales of justice are supposed to be balanced and we want to make sure it is a balanced resolution for all,” Jaynes said. “I’ve always believed that moratoriums should be combined with assistance.”

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

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