Housing advocates ask the Governor to again extend the eviction moratorium that lapsed today warning the state could face a public health and homelessness crisis if not.
Louisiana Fair Housing Action Center spokesperson Max Ciardullo says mass evictions will hamper social distancing efforts.
“Any local official or state official should be deeply concerned about overcrowded courts and homeless shelters would mean for us. I think there is a lot of concern that this could spark a second wave,” says Ciardullo.
Ciardullo says the evictions put people at high-risk of COVID in a bad spot. He says if you are high-risk and get an eviction notice, know your rights.
“If they are fearful of going to a public place like a court and they get a notice like this they should request a reasonable accommodation which is just an accommodation of the offer for people with disabilities,” says Ciardullo.
Ciardullo says 41 percent of Louisianans in the end of month Census Household Pulse Survey say they feared not being able to make rent for June. Two months from now it could be far higher.
“In addition to the first wave of people who are going to be evicted when courts open Monday there are going to be a lot of people who lose unemployment assistance in July and there are not going to be jobs to return to,” says Ciardullo.
Louisiana has roughly 600,000 renters.
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