HOUSTON — Renters struggling to pay the bills because of the COVID-19 pandemic are pushing elected officials to protect them as the end of a federal eviction moratorium looms.
Several tenants and members of the Texas Organizing Project spoke Tuesday morning on the steps of Houston City Hall in front of a pile of furniture.
“By the grace of friends and family is where I’m at, and I have it better than a lot of others,” said Ben, a tenant who declined to give his last name. “I have no address right now. Let me put it that way.”
Ben says he’s a father of three who’s had a tough time paying rent and other bills since work slowed down at petrochemical plants and rigs.
“I went from 60,70 hours a week to 40, to full time to part time, from part time to no time,” he said.
Ben and other speakers demanded help from government leaders to stop evictions.
A federal ban on evictions expires at the end of the month.
“Mayor Turner, we need you to take action,” said Rai Prysock, Housing Justice Organizer with Texas Organizing Project.
A spokesperson for Mayor Sylvester Turner told KHOU 11 the mayor urged the CDC Dec. 8 to extend and strengthen the federal eviction ban.
The same day, he also asked the Texas Supreme Court to reinstate a 90-day suspension of eviction hearings.
Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said Tuesday an order by Governor Greg Abbott blocked the ability of her and other county judges across Texas to stop evictions.
“What I’ve done ever since my authority was stripped is, first, offer these tens of millions of dollars in direct financial assistance to the most vulnerable community members, and second, plead with those justices of the peace to not hear the eviction cases,” Judge Hidalgo said.
The county judge said as of Tuesday, Harris County had provided over $90 million in direct financial assistance.
Local nonprofit Baker Ripley is still taking applications from tenants for the Houston-Harris County rent relief program at https://www.bakerripleyrenthelp.org/.
Separate $1,200 stimulus checks are also going out from a city-county direct assistance program to thousands of people that previously applied for help but never got it.
On Tuesday, Harris County Commissioners also voted to give the Houston Food Bank another $5 million to help address rising food insecurity during the pandemic. That money will pay for nearly 2 million pounds of food and labor costs to distribute it.
On Wednesday, Houston City Council could vote to spend more than $300,000 to help struggling pet owners with pet food and animal medical supplies, as well as city spay/neuter programs.
“What we realized is that our animals are part of our families,” Mayor Turner said. “So, it’s not just about taking care of the people. It’s about taking care also of our animals that really are part of that extended family.”
The city will fund that effort with federal relief dollars from the CARES Act.