news August 11-17, 2021 Smoky Mountain News 22
After a brief pause, eviction moratorium returns BY CORY VAILLANCOURT POLITICS E DITOR Trump-era policy designed to protect renters impacted by the Coronavirus Pandemic was allowed to expire on the last day of July by the administration of President Joe Biden, but was then quickly reinstated — with a big caveat. “This will be very helpful for our tenants and hopefully allow them to get rental assistance in place,” said Chase Wells, a staff attorney with Legal Aid NC. On Sept. 3, 2020, a federal moratorium on evictions was enacted, preventing landlords from removing tenants through summary ejectment proceedings for non-payment of rent. The moratorium did not prevent landlords from taking action against tenants for other reasons, like overstaying their leases, engaging in criminal activity or violating lease terms with regard to things like pets, guests, smoking or property upkeep. Tenants could claim protection against non-payment evictions by signing an affidavit from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention declaring that they’d used their “best efforts” either to obtain rental assistance from governments or make timely, partial payments; earned less than $99,000 a year; lost substantial income during the pandemic due to unemployment or health care costs; or would become homeless if evicted. Rent forgiveness was never part of the 10-month moratorium, so tenants also had to attest that this fact was understood, and that back rent would still accrue and be collectable by landlords. The moratorium didn’t prevent landlords from filing summary ejectment proceedings against tenants for non-payment, so courts simply continued the cases, pre-
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venting actual evictions. Buncombe County still averaged more than 70 eviction filings a month during the moratorium, down from about 84 pre-moratorium. In most other Western North Carolina counties, the number of cases filed dropped by about half. From July 2020 through June 2021, out of the 1,900 eviction cases filed in nine western counties — basically, Buncombe west — less than 10 have reached a disposition, per data from the North Carolina Administrative Office of the Courts. That means there’s a substantial backlog, even as eviction cases continue to be filed. Although the moratorium did lapse — basically, for one single Monday — few, if any cases were heard in courts across the region. But that doesn’t mean that people haven’t ended up out on the streets during the moratorium, says Mandy Haithcox, executive director of faith-based recovery shelter program Pathways in Haywood County. “I don’t think people always understand the eviction process, so either they know it’s coming or they get the initial paper and they bail,” Haithcox said. “The last week of July, when everyone assumed it was ending, we had probably 10 or 12 calls a day, and that was just from people here in Haywood County.” On Aug. 3, amidst a startling upsurge in COVID-19 cases after months of decline, the CDC issued an updated moratorium, valid through Oct. 3. The most recent moratorium is identical to its predecessor, except for one significant stipulation — it will only apply in counties where the transmission of COVID-19 is defined by the CDC as substantial or high. As of press time, 98 North Carolina counties were covered by the moratorium.
Sarah Thompson joins Dogwood Health Trust Dogwood Health Trust hired seasoned economic and community development executive Sarah Thompson to join the organization’s Impact Team on Sept. 7. Thompson joins Dogwood’s Impact Team as Vice President of Impact — Economic Opportunity. In this role, she is responsible for the visioning, development and implementation of ambitious economic impact strategies that will increase pathways to highquality and more equitable employment opportunities for Western North Carolinians. She will also lead efforts to increase support for micro and small business opportunities for under-resourced and marginalized communities. “Sarah knows and understands economic and community development,” said Dr. Susan Mims, interim CEO for Dogwood Health Trust. “But more importantly, she also knows and cares deeply for the people of our region. Her many years working at Southwestern Commission have given Sarah a deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities experienced in our unique economic ecosystem.” “I am excited to continue my service to Western North Carolina in this new capacity. This is a region of tremendous opportunity and notable challenges as well,” said Thompson. “Dogwood’s approach to community and economic development,
Summary ejectment cases filed, July 2020-June 2021 TOTAL
PER 1,000 RESIDENTS Buncombe 884 3.71 Cherokee 105 3.64 Clay 34 3.00 Graham 20 2.38 Haywood 267 4.26 Henderson 391 3.30 Jackson 159 3.59 Macon 103 2.83 Swain 28 1.96 Source: North Carolina Administrative Office of the Courts
Average summary ejectment cases filed per month PRE DURING MORATORIUM MORATORIUM Buncombe 84 71.6 Cherokee 13 7.9 Clay 5 2.4 Graham 1 1.8 Haywood 35 19.7 Henderson 33 32.5 Jackson 17.5 12.4 Macon 11.5 8 Swain 4.5 1.9 Source: North Carolina Administrative Office of the Courts
Only two counties, Camden and Hyde, had COVID-19 transmission rates defined as low or moderate, so the moratorium doesn’t apply there. At least, for now. After Oct. 3, the moratorium would need to be renewed again for protections to continue, but for tenants behind on their rent, there is a way to get current before the
through a social determinants of health lens, allows us to take bold and creative approaches to economic stability for the people of WNC.” Thompson most recently served as the Executive Director for Southwestern Commission in Sylva. In this role, she directed operations of the regional council of government which serves the seven most western counties in North Carolina through community and economic development, workforce development, and area agency on aging. Thompson has also served as a member of the Dogwood Board of Directors. She took a leave of absence from that role prior to entering the search for this role. She has officially resigned from the board in order to take the position.
Haywood amends school calendar The Haywood County Schools Board of Education voted to amend the 2021-22 school calendar during its Aug. 9 regularly scheduled meeting. Friday, Oct. 15 is now a regular student day; Monday, Oct. 18 will remain as an Optional Teacher Workday and Tuesday, Oct. 19 is now a Remote Learning Optional Workday. This change was made so students and staff can be in session on the day of the nationally recognized rivalry football game
inevitable wave of evictions finally comes. It’s called HOPE (Housing Opportunities and Prevention of Evictions Program) and serves 88 mostly-rural North Carolina counties where low-income renters need help. All WNC counties are eligible, except for Buncombe. The HOPE program is open to any renter who has been late on rent at least once since April 1, 2020 and has lost income due to the Coronavirus Pandemic. Qualifying applicants must also earn no more than 80 percent of the county’s median income, which can be found using a calculator on the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Affairs website. For a single person in Haywood County, that income limit is $35,500. Eventually, the moratorium will end, bringing with it its own set of problems above and beyond the immediacy of becoming temporarily unsheltered. “When it does happen and people do have evictions, those people aren’t going to be able to rent again because there’s limited availability here anyway, and then they’re going to have an eviction on their record,” Haithcox said. “So we’re going to have a longer-term problem than we had before.” Adding to the problem is a new class of homelessness — workers who’ve done everything right but watched landlords sell their buildings for huge profits in the region’s redhot real estate market. “There’s nowhere to move to, especially if you’ve got pets and three kids,” she said. “We’ve had a lot of people who’ve never been homeless before who were like, ‘What do I do now?’ I’ve talked to several folks who have employees living in their car for a year and nobody knows about them, because they’re trying to keep it together to keep their job.”
between the school system’s two largest high schools. “When the Calendar Committee designed and the Board approved the original calendar, we did not know the date of our big game,” said Superintendent Dr. Bill Nolte. “Our schools were reclassified last year, and conference scheduling was not complete at that time. We think it will be better if our students and staff are in school on the 15th, the day of the big game.”
History series continues at Cowee School The lecture series, “Where We Live: History, Nature, and Culture” will resume at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 16 at the Cowee School Arts and Heritage Center, and will continue the third Monday of each month thereafter. Daniel Williamson, curator of the Scottish Tartans Museum in Franklin, will present a program on The History of Highland Dress—and Much More. He will give a history of clothing that covers from the 3rd century Picts — inhabitants of Pictland, before Scotland was called Scotland — to the 19th Century. He will bring lots of artifacts, including clothing, weapons and armor, as well as illustrations. The program will last approximately one hour. Masks are required for those who are not fully vaccinated. The Sept. 20 program will be The Unusual Critters of Coweeta.
