Florida’s stay on evictions doesn’t mean renters won’t lose their homes

TAMPA — The pandemic seemed a distant threat when Mandy Bayarkhuu told her apartment complex in February she was planning to find somewhere new to live.

Then she lost her $75,000-a-year job as a product developer with a sports apparel company. Now, the mother of two has joined hundreds of thousands of Floridians on unemployment. Other apartment complexes won’t rent to her because she doesn’t have a steady income, and her landlord has given her until May 1 to pay her $1,600 rent or move out.

“We’re not homeless, so we can’t go to shelters," she said. “We’re falling through the cracks.”

Florida’s 45-day stay on evictions and mortgage foreclosures was intended to prevent people like Bayarkhuu from becoming homeless. But housing advocates are warning that the state has not done enough to protect renters and could see an onslaught of evictions when the stay expires around May 17.

Gov. Ron DeSantis’ executive order does not protect people whose leases are expiring or low-income families who live in extended-stay motels. And it has not stopped landlords from beginning eviction proceedings.

More than 120 notices of non-payment of rent have been filed in Hillsborough County since DeSantis issued a statewide stay-at-home order, said Tom DiFiore, team leader of the housing unit at Bay Area Legal Services. Evictions also have been filed in Pinellas and Pasco counties.

Courts are not issuing writs of possession, the final step in an eviction, but tenants are being served with notices, DiFiore said. Those could become a life-long black mark for tenants and harm their chances of renting because Florida has no process for expunging eviction filings, he said.

“Even if it’s dismissed or settled, it can affect your ability to rent in the future,” DiFiore said.

Other states have taken more steps to protect renters, according to Princeton University’s Eviction Lab. That includes bans on landlords filing eviction notices to families affected by the coronavirus, adding late fees to overdue rent and reporting late payments to credit rating agencies. Some states also have given renters a specified grace period to catch up on unpaid rent.

The Eviction Lab’s study ranked all 50 states on their response to the coronavirus. Florida scored 1 out of 5 and was ranked 28th. Massachusetts earned the best ranking. It ordered courts not to accept eviction filings and extends that moratorium for 45 days after a state of emergency declaration is lifted.

Florida has about 2.5 million households in rented accommodation, according to a 2017 study by the Shimberg Center for Housing Studies at the University of Florida. They typically are working families who rely on a regular salary to make rent. About 351,000 households earn 60 percent or less of the region’s median income of about $52,500.

With more than 1.5 million unemployment claims filed since mid-March, when the state saw a record surge in people thrown out of work due to the coronavirus, nonprofit groups fear a rash of evictions will happen once the evictions stay is lifted.

Keep up with Tampa Bay’s top headlines

Subscribe to our free DayStarter newsletter

We’ll deliver the latest news and information you need to know every weekday morning.

Loading...

You’re all signed up!

Want more of our free, weekly newsletters in your inbox? Let’s get started.

Explore all your options

“I am concerned about next month and the month after that,” said Emery Ivery, Tampa Bay area president for United Way Suncoast. “People are using up savings and maxing out credit cards. The long-term aspect of this will be a huge challenge, as well.”

The group is working with the Tampa-Hillsborough Homeless Initiative to try to come up with housing for families living in extended-stay motels who are out of work and to plug other gaps in the state’s safety net.

That would include Stephanie Brannon, who was furloughed after 22 years working at Busch Gardens.

A culinary supervisor, she was making $14 an hour and living in a kitchenette owned by Metropolitan Ministries with her 16-year-old son.

The program she is in requires her to make at least three times the $225 rent and to save for her own place. Now, she no longer meets that criteria and is waiting to hear if she can stay.

It took her three weeks to file for unemployment because of problems with the state’s claims website. During that time, she received a stimulus check, but said a one-time payment won’t solve her problems.

“I don’t know what to I’m going to do,” she said. “I’ve been looking for a job, but it’s so hard.”

• • •

Tampa Bay Times coronavirus coverage

HAVE YOU LOST SOMEONE YOU LOVE TO COVID-19?: Help us remember them

UNEMPLOYMENT Q&A: We answer your questions about Florida unemployment benefits

CONTRIBUTE TO THE SCRAPBOOK: Help us tell the story of life under coronavirus

BRIGHT SPOTS IN DARK TIMES: The world is hard right now, but there’s still good news out there

LISTEN TO THE CORONAVIRUS PODCAST: New episodes every week, including interviews with experts and reporters

HAVE A TIP?: Send us confidential news tips

GET THE DAYSTARTER MORNING UPDATE: Sign up to receive the most up-to-date information, six days a week

WATCH VIDEO: How some in Tampa Bay are finding light amid isolation

We’re working hard to bring you the latest news on the coronavirus in Florida. This effort takes a lot of resources to gather and update. If you haven’t already subscribed, please consider buying a print or digital subscription.