Cook County Diverts Predicted COVID-19 Eviction Avalanche by Wendy Rosen
The predicted “avalanche” of 21,000 pandemic-driven evictions didn’t happen when the Illinois moratorium was lifted Oct. 3, 2021 and the reasons, advocates suggest, are an infusion of rental assistance cash and a new court diversion program. Cook County has awarded nearly $90 million in emergency rental assistance to residents impacted by COVID-19, according to the Cook County Bureau of Economic Development. Efforts to stave off the housing crisis began early in the pandemic, when Cook County leaders grew increasingly concerned that the region’s ongoing affordable housing crisis, together with a looming eviction crisis, would force low-income renters to move from homes to homelessness. The Early Resolution Program (ERP) was started by the Circuit Court of Cook County, The Chicago Bar Foundation (CBF), government agencies, elected officials, and commu-
Cook County launched the Cook County Legal Aid for Housing and Debt (CCLAHD) initiative at a Nov. 23, 2020 virtual press conference. From top left: Chicago Department of Housing Commissioner Marisa Novara, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, Chief Judge Timothy Evans, Cook County Commissioner Scott Britton, Chicago Bar Foundation Executive Director Bob Glaves, Cook County Commissioner Alma Anaya, ASL Interpreter Elizabeth Treger.
nity partners to provide tenants and landlords who suffered pandemic hardships with equal access to free legal assistance, mediation, and resources like rental assistance. The program extends negotiation time for landlords and tenants while they attempt to settle out of court. Cook County Board President Tony Preckwinkle unveiled the ERP in a November 2020 virtual press conference as part of the broader Cook County Legal Aid for Housing and Debt (CCLAHD) initiative for residents dealing with eviction and consumer debt. Cook County’s ERP was initially funded with a $1 million allocation from the federal CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security) Act. “The most vulnerable among us -- Black and Brown residents -- have been left to bear the brunt of the burden. This is unacceptable,” said Preckwinkle. “We understood that we needed to step in and provide solutions.”
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