ST. LOUIS — St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones held a press conference Tuesday, addressing rental assistance needs after the federal eviction moratorium expired Saturday.
"There are 3,000 eviction cases in the City of St. Louis,"
Jones met with Horizon Housing staff members to discuss plans to keep people in their homes.
"My administration is allocating $1.5 million to help expedite the rental assistance process and connect people to legal assistance and mediation," Jones said.
The CDC announced a new eviction moratorium hours after Jones' announcement Tuesday, but the efforts will continue in an effort to clear the sizeable backlog. That effort includes setting up rental assistance clinics to help people file their paperwork.
"The City is looking to partner with groups like Horizon Homes to open walk-in rental assistance clinics on both the north side and the south side," Jones said.
Gaddiel Patterson and Latasha Brown from Dellwood feel the landlords should be the ones going through the application process
"You ain't got paid, we ain't got paid, you understand me?" Patterson said.
"Maybe the city halls need to set up rental assistance to where landlords can come show look my tenant ain't paid rent in 10 months how can you help me?" Brown said.
Previously, federal rules required rental and utility assistance to go directly to landlords and utility companies.
Updated U.S. Treasury guidelines now allow funds to go directly to the tenants. Patterson and Brown hope the Mayor's walk-in clinics will make that process easy.
"Get them bills and that rent paid directly there right there on the spot. No bunch of loopholes, no nothing like that, when people bring their proof they can verify it right on the spot," Brown said.
"If you guys can help with the paperwork, even with the people to try and get this process going is cool, and please try, but I don't expect you to do everything cause hell, I've got a gas bill that's overdue. Urban League was supposed to pay it in January. It ain't paid yet," Patterson said.
Rental assistance applicants need their photo ID, lease from their landlord, proof of residence and proof of financial hardship from COVID-19.
The City will hold an in-person assistance clinic on August 20th at the St. Louis Community College Forest Park location.
Jones provided the following statement on the new moratorium, crediting St. Louis Congresswoman Cori Bush with keeping the moratorium on the forefront.
“The people of the St. Louis region elected Congresswoman Cori Bush to represent their best interests in Congress, and she has demonstrated the power of direct action by achieving what some considered politically impossible. I am so proud to have her voice in Washington, D.C, as we fight together to build a better St. Louis for everyone.
“While the renewal of the eviction moratorium is only temporary, it gives us a reprieve as we continue our efforts to keep people in their homes and prevent the spread of COVID-19. I took executive action last week to move $1.5 million in the City’s budget toward expediting applications through the rental assistance process and to provide legal assistance, public benefits navigators, and bridge housing to those who need it most. Today, I announced the City’s efforts to work with community partners to set up walk-in assistance clinics to connect more residents with these resources.
“My administration will continue to work to protect families impacted by the COVID-19 crisis. We need all hands on deck to keep our people in their homes.”