Evictions

Housing advocates say city officials must release rental aid quickly to help people who are behind on their rent stay in their homes during a public health crisis.

Mayor Tishaura Jones discussed her first 100 days in office on "St. Louis on the Air" and shared what she sees as priorities in the coming months.

Illinois begins winding down its eviction moratorium on Aug. 1. Bob Palmer, policy director for Housing Action Illinois, shares resources residents can tap into for financial and housing assistance.

Since Feb. 15, Missouri has put $17.4 million into the hands of nearly 3,500 families — a significant jump from $3.6 million provided to about 700 families by the middle of May.

The eviction crisis advocates fear is on the horizon will likely have a disproportionate impact on communities of color, single female-led households and households with children. That’s according to a new report from the Metropolitan St. Louis Equal Housing & Opportunity Council, which found that more than 5,000 evictions were filed in the city of St. Louis and St. Louis County between March 2020 and January 2021.

ArchCity Defenders has launched a new guide to help St. Louisans facing evictions represent themselves in court. “Representing Yourself When Facing Eviction” explains the types of eviction lawsuits and how to prepare for court.

St. Louis County received nearly $30 million in federal funds to help people pay back rent and utilities. The money is aimed at helping people who lost income during the coronavirus pandemic.

The pandemic triggered a major housing crisis, resulting in millions of renters and unhoused people across the country becoming at risk for being evicted or displaced. Meanwhile, those living in apartments with mold or pests have been stuck with environmental conditions that exacerbate asthma and COVID-19. Locally, tenants and housing advocates are pushing back by advocating for eviction moratoriums, holding landlords accountable, and working to create a tenants bill of rights. In this episode, we hear from the three working members of State Street Tenants Resistance about what motivates them to advocate for a tenants bill of rights, and the Community Empowerment Organizer of a local community development corporation will explain how to hold problem landlords accountable and what’s at stake when large companies and the state need to be held accountable, too.

Out of $300 million in federal emergency rental assistance, Missouri has doled out $3.6 million.

The state’s budget also provides funding for the public defender system and mistakenly paid unemployment benefits