SAINT PETERSBURG, Fla. — Local community groups and legal advocates are in overdrive working to help Tampa Bay tenants scrambling for relief after the Supreme Court ruled against the CDC’s COVID-19 eviction moratorium.
“People have been getting evicted throughout the whole pandemic, and this really was the last lifeline for renters, particularly renters of color,” said Karla Correa, organizer with the St. Pete Tenants Union.
Correa says she is in constant contact with tenants facing eviction—some elderly, some with young children—who are scared and concerned about what the end to the eviction moratorium will mean for themselves and their families.
"I can't believe I am in this situation. It's disgusting and it's horrible,” said Rose Jimenez of Palm Harbor.
After falling behind on rent earlier this year, she says her landlord threatened eviction and is now not renewing her lease.
"I can't believe how people are suffering in this country at this time due to this horrific pandemic and it's just not being taken seriously,” she said.
The Supreme Court ruled the CDC does not have the authority to enact the moratorium without congressional authorization.
In Hillsborough County, data from the clerk of court’s office shows more than 5,000 eviction cases have been filed this year alone. This includes the period of time when the eviction ban was in place.
The pandemic has been tough for landlords, too. A recent report from the Urban Institute shows smaller landlords can't keep up with property maintenance when tenants are behind on rent. Experts say when tenants don't pay rent, there are lots of smaller landlords who can't cover their own housing expenses, putting them in the same boat as their tenants.
"People are literally suffering, becoming homeless,” said Jimenez. “It's not good."