Capitol Fax.com - Your Illinois News Radar

The other side of the eviction moratorium

Posted in:

Illinois

* Clint Sabin…

Note: On Friday, June 11, Governor J.B. Pritzker issued a significant modification to the state’s eviction moratorium, which is the most restrictive moratorium in the nation. The change allows county sheriffs to execute orders of possession that were issued by a judge prior to the pandemic. These pre-Covid orders of possession are the last-step in a months-long eviction process. They will affect residents who stopped paying rent or otherwise violated the conditions of their lease in 2019 or at the beginning of 2020, but who have remained in their units throughout the pandemic. The Governor has indicated the moratorium will be completely lifted by August. For additional background material please click here.

June 14, 2021 (Chicago, Ill.) As the State of Illinois and the City of Chicago enters Phase 5 of its recovery plan, the Neighborhood Building Owners Alliance (NBOA) thanks those residents who worked with their housing providers to meet the housing challenges of this pandemic.

The Governor’s modified executive order is limited to those residents who have clearly been taking advantage of the moratorium. This action will help to stabilize housing after such a difficult year when housing providers were required by law to provide a public service but were rarely if ever provided with public support.

Michael Glasser, president of NBOA, said, “As we join all of Illinois in celebrating the many sacrifices that led to the lifting of pandemic restrictions, we especially thank those neighborhood housing providers who, often at great personal cost, kept all their tenants housed and safe during this long year.”

NBOA research indicates that housing providers are owed over $1 billion in delinquent rent. It also shows most housing providers had to cut spending on repairs and maintenance, and one-third of neighborhood housing providers lack the funds for basic building expenses such as the mortgage, property taxes, utilities, and payroll.

Fortunately, rental assistance programs were eventually created to assist tenants and housing providers with these problems. Glasser added, “We are grateful to the Illinois Housing Development Authority, Cook County Bureau of Economic Development, and the Chicago Department of Housing for administering the federal rental assistance programs which provided funding for those who had fallen behind on their rent.”

Evictions are always a last resort for any housing provider. Not only are they emotionally draining, they are also time consuming and expensive. As the statewide eviction moratorium is lifted, it is important that residents know most housing providers are willing to negotiate an amicable solution to their problems.

The NBOA is asking members of the media to inform the public that should they continue to have difficulty in paying their rent, they should not wait to contact their housing provider to ask for assistance. In most cases a housing provider and resident can come to an amicable solution if the lines of communication are open. Moreover, the City of Chicago’s emergency rental assistance program is still open for applicants through Tuesday, June 15, 2021.

posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Jun 14, 21 @ 12:02 pm

Comments

The appellate court finally ruled on the eviction moratorium. The ruling is cowardly and nonsensical.

Comment by Uncle Ken Monday, Jun 14, 21 @ 12:06 pm
I used to own rental property in IL, I am very thankful I sold them several years ago. It’s already hard to evict bad tenants, the moratorium basically gave people a year of free rent while the property owners got the short end of the stick.

Comment by Uncle A Monday, Jun 14, 21 @ 1:06 pm
== the moratorium basically gave people a year of free rent while the property owners got the short end of the stick.==
No it doesn’t. Anyone who signs a lease still owes the money for that lease whether they are still in the unit or not and owner can take them to court.

Comment by Mr. Green Genes Monday, Jun 14, 21 @ 3:09 pm
Mr. Green Genes,

What you say is true in theory, but how it plays out in the real world is another story. The bigger the debt accumulated by the renter, the less likely it will ever be paid back, and even in the best case may have to settle at pennies on the dollar to come to some sort of resolution.

Comment by Six Degrees of Separation Monday, Jun 14, 21 @ 3:21 pm
Yes Mr. Green Genes they do still the money. Have you ever tried to collect? It was not a thought out mandate. At all.

Comment by DMC Monday, Jun 14, 21 @ 4:03 pm
===Anyone who signs a lease still owes the money for that lease whether they are still in the unit or not and owner can take them to court.===

This made me laugh. Good luck ever collecting that debt, which by the way costs money to collect it.

Comment by Just Me 2 Monday, Jun 14, 21 @ 4:42 pm
===Good luck ever collecting that debt===

You think those renters don’t know if they don’t make whole, the odds of getting an apartment they want decreases.

(Sigh)

Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Jun 14, 21 @ 4:45 pm
You folks ever hear about court? Garnishing wages? If a landlord has a contract he or she can take their renter to court. Evictions require court too, so the argument that going to court costs money is silly.

Comment by Mr. Green Genes Tuesday, Jun 15, 21 @ 6:44 am
The governor still has not lifted the Covid-19 ban on wage and bank account garnishment, so even if a landlord sues for back rent, they cannot collect until the ban is lifted.

Comment by slippery slopes Tuesday, Jun 15, 21 @ 7:19 am
Mr. Green Genes - how many years do you think it would take to collect $10,000 in unpaid rent and at what cost? And what if the renter declares bankruptcy? And what if the renter also has other debts? And what if the renter moves and goes off the grid? You speak as if collecting this money is easy. It is so difficult most landlords don’t even waste their time.

Comment by Just Me 2 Tuesday, Jun 15, 21 @ 7:34 am
=== until the ban is lifted.===

Eventually it will be, we don’t know when.

Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Jun 15, 21 @ 7:40 am
I never said going to court is “easy.” You have to pay court costs, get someone to serve the tenant, take off work, dress nice, get there on time, same as eviction court.
Taking a tenant to court is a tool in the landlord’s tool box, same as eviction.

Comment by Mr. Green Genes Tuesday, Jun 15, 21 @ 11:27 am
“And what if the renter moves and goes off the grid?”
Why are you renting to the Unibomber?

Comment by Fly like an eagle Tuesday, Jun 15, 21 @ 12:18 pm
=== And what if the renter declares bankruptcy? And what if the renter also has other debts? And what if the renter moves and goes off the grid?===

Channeling Jake Blues?

“ Honest… I ran out of gas. I… I had a flat tire. I didn’t have enough money for cab fare. My tux didn’t come back from the cleaners. An old friend came in from out of town. Someone stole my car. There was an earthquake. A terrible flood. Locusts!”

Comment by Da Big Bad Wolf Wednesday, Jun 16, 21 @ 7:53 am