ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Tenants nationwide faced a surge in evictions amid the pandemic.
City leaders in St. Petersburg explored options to expand legal protection for tenants on Thursday during its youth and family services committee. The discussion focused on the right to legal counsel for tenants, particularly those facing eviction.
Proponents state this will help drive eviction filings down and stop more people from experiencing homelessness.
The St. Petersburg City Council approved discussion during a March meeting under Council Member Richie Floyd's request. Floyd said he's received multiple concerns from residents about their housing situation.
"It's really frustrating to hear from tenants who feel like they've done everything right and they're still being kicked out of their home," Floyd said.
Floyd said the move has the potential to keep fewer people away from experiencing homelessness and may also reduce the strain on city budgets.
“The end goal really is to lower evictions and to give tenants a little bit of a leg up in negotiations with their landlord," Floyd said.
The council member's request cited data from the National Coalition for a Civil Right to Counsel. It states 3% of tenants have legal representation when facing eviction proceedings, compared to over 80% of landlords.
While committee members agreed more help is needed, some said executing the plan is more complicated. For instance, they considered cost, the time it takes to help tenants, outreach, or laws that may limit what the city is able to do.
The topic is among the number of initiatives the St. Pete Tenants Union group has been pushing for, including rent control, which failed to receive enough support from city leaders in the past.
The group states it's helped provide legal support for tenants navigating eviction. Organizer Karla Correa said it's a burden, especially for low-income tenants facing other problems.
Correa said she worries about facing eviction due to the rising cost in rent prices and her month-to-month lease, but hopes her advocacy will help other tenants.
“We’re not just doing this because we feel bad for people. It's because we, ourselves, are in this situation. So many people in St. Petersburg are in this situation," Correa said.
Evictions have been mostly consistent throughout the pandemic after the statewide moratorium expired two years ago. Just last week, there were more than 200 new filings in the Tampa Bay area, according to the tracking site Eviction Lab.
If you find yourself facing eviction, a new online tool launched recently in Florida to help with eviction notices.