NEW ORLEANS — Many renters are scrambling for much-needed rental assistance as Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards' ban on evictions ahead of Hurricane Ida is set to expire on Friday.
The City of New Orleans has extended its community-based rental assistance event at Joe Brown Park through Friday ahead of the eviction moratorium expiring. Friday was supposed to be an "overflow day," but city leaders say the need for rental assistance in the city has been so great. All hands will be on deck as the clock winds down to get relief to families to keep them in their homes.
New Orleans recently received $9.6 million dollars from the U.S. Treasury Department, with an additional $5.6 million expected from the state to help renters.
The Emergency Rental Assitance program will distribute that money to eligible tenants in New Orleans with past-due utility bills due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The program aims to help families avoid evictions or loss of utility services.
The city will be at Joe Brown Park until 4 p.m. on Friday. If approved, applicants can expect to receive payment in seven to 10 days. Austin Badon, the Clerk of First City Court, says that the city will give approved renters a letter to give to their landlord to show that funds are coming, but ultimately it is up to the landlord to decide if they will wait.
Rental assistance in the city has been a lingering issue for more than a year and made worse with services for help pausing because of Hurricane Ida.
With the governor's eviction order expected to expire on Friday at 11:59 pm, Badon says his office is prepared for a long workday to come Saturday.
“We anticipate a lot of landlords coming in. This will be the first time in earnest that they could actually come and file an eviction for non-payment of rent in just about two years since the pandemic has first started," Badon said.
This time around, with eviction court caught up on backlogged evictions, once landlords have their day in court renters could be asked to leave their home in as little as 24 hours.
“That light at the end of the tunnel is now a train coming at them," Badon said. "Nobody wants to see people put out on the street or have to go live in shelters. So, what we're encouraging people is to have a dialogue with your landlord."
New Orleans has a homeless shelter with an extra 200 beds opening in the middle of October. But because of the strain caused by Hurricane Ida and the COVID pandemic, come Saturday there may not be many options for renters who get evicted.
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