>> FOR 14 MONTHS THERE'S BEEN A
BAN ON EVICTIONS HERE IN
ILLINOIS AND THAT IS SET TO
CHANGE LATER THIS SUMMER.
AMANDA VINICKY JOINS US FOR A
LOOK AT HOUSING IN THE
PANDEMIC'S QUOTE-UNQUOTE BRIDGE
PHASE.
WHAT DID YOU FIND OUT?
>> WELL, PARIS THAT BAN ON
EVICTIONS HAS TAKEN VARIOUS
FORMS FROM A TOTAL PROHIBITION
TO NOW WHERE EVICTIONS ARE ONLY
ALLOWED IN THE STRICTEST OF
CIRCUMSTANCES LIKE WHEN A JUDGE
DEEMS SOMEBODY TO BE A DANGEROUS
THREAT.
>> SO THERE ARE LIMITED
EXCEPTIONS TO THE MORATORIUM.
THE PROBLEM IS THAT WHILE THE
MORATORIUM PREVENTED EVICTIONS
WHICH IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT AND
THAT'S REALLY PUBLIC HEALTH
ISSUE, IT HAS NOT RELIEVED
TENANTS OF THE RESPONSIBILITY TO
PAY THE RENT THAT HAS BEEN
ACCRUING.
THEY STILL HAVE THAT DEBT.
>> LAWRENCE WOOD IS AN ATTORNEY
WITH THE LEGAL AID CHICAGO'S
HOUSING PRACTICE GROUP AND HE
SAYS THAT A NEW STATE PROGRAM IS
GOING TO GO A LONG WAY THERE.
ILLINOIS IS GOING TO SPEND $1.5
BILLION OF FEDERAL MONEY TO
PAYBACK RENT OWED BY RESIDENTS
OF LIMITED MEANS, PRIORITY TO
THOSE UNEMPLOYED AND THEIR
LANDLORDS APPLY ON THE LINE AND
THE MONEY GOES STRAIGHT TO THE
LANDLORDS.
MICHAEL MINI REPRESENTS
CHICAGOLAND R LANDLORDS AND SAYS
THAT IS GOING TO HELP TO PREVENT
A HUGE WAVE OF EVICTIONS ONCE
THAT MORATORIUM IS LIFTED.
>> WE REALLY DON'T THINK THAT
THERE IS GOING TO BE THIS WHAT
HAS BEEN DESCRIBED AS A TSUNAMI
OF EVICTIONS ONCE THE MORATORIUM
ENDS.
>> BUT WOOD SAID THIS PROGRAM
HAS LIMITATIONS.
>> FIRST OF ALL WE DON'T KNOW IF
25,000 DOLLARS IS GOING TO
SATISFY THE DEBT.
PEOPLE HAVE NOT BEEN PAYING RENT
SINCE THE PANDEMIC STARTED BACK
IN MARCH.
>> PAUL ARENA REPRESENTS SMALL
AND MEDIUM SIZED LANDLORDS AND
WHEN I ASKED HIM WHETHER THIS
NEW RELIEF PROGRAM IS THE CURE
HE DID NOT HESITATE TO TELL ME
NO.
HE POINTS TO A COUPLE FIRST TIME
LANDLORDS RENTING TO PEOPLE WHO
STOPPED PAYING RENT BEFORE THE
PANDEMIC.
AND THEN THE EVICTION MORATORIUM
KICKED IN BEFORE THEY COULD DO
ANYTHING ABOUT IT.
THE RELIEF MONEY IS ONLY
SUPPOSED TO COVER RENTERS WITH
COVID-RELATED HARDSHIPS.
SO THEY MAY NOT QUALIFY EVEN
THOUGH THEY HAD TO ABIDE BY THE
EVICTION BAN.
TENANTS HAVE TO COOPERATE WITH
LANDLORDS TO APPLY FOR THE
FUNDING.
>> IF A TENANT JUST MOVES OUT,
RIGHT, SAY THEY STAY FOR A YEAR
AND JUST MOVE OUT, THERE'S NO
ASSISTANCE FOR THOSE LANDLORDS.
THEY HAVE NO OPTION RIGHT NOW.
SO THERE IS A WHOLE LIST OF
THINGS THAT AREAS WHERE THERE
ARE OBVIOUS DEFICIENCIES IN THE
PROGRAMS THAT CAN BE ADDRESSED.
>> WHEN GOVERNOR J.B. PRITZKER
ANNOUNCED THIS PROGRAM, HE ALSO
SAID THAT THE EVICTION
MORATORIUM IS GOING TO COME TO
AN END THIS SUMMER BEING PHASED
OUT AND STOPPING IN AUGUST.
MICHAEL MINI SAYS THIS IS
WELCOME AND SENSIBLE NEWS FOR
LANDLORDS.
HE SAYS EVICTIONS SHOULD BE A
LAST RESORT BUT HE HOPES THAT
PRITZKER WILL LOOSEN THE
CONDITIONS SO THAT EVICTIONS ARE
ALLOWED IN CIRCUMSTANCES
UNRELATED TO COVID AND
NONPAYMENT.
>> TO ALLOW FOR CASES TO MOVE
FORWARD, AGAINST RESIDENTS THAT
ARE AGAIN, BREAKING THE RULES,
WHATEVER IT MIGHT BE, CAUSING
PROBLEMS, BEING A DANGER TO
OTHER RESIDENTS OF THE
BUILDING...
>> NORTH SUBURBAN LEGAL AID
CLINIC'S DIRECTOR OF HOUSING LAW
PRACTICE MAUREEN SIMS SAYS SHE
WORKS THROUGH A LOT OF PEOPLE
WHO HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO PAY
THEIR RENT AND NOW SHE SAYS IT
IS IMPORTANT THAT ILLINOIS BE
MINDFUL BEFORE COMPLETELY
LIFTING THAT BAN.
>> WE JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE
THAT ALL OF THIS MONEY THAT IS
OUT THERE TO PROVIDE RENTAL
ASSISTANCE GETS DISTRIBUTED
FULLY BEFORE THE MORATORIUM IS
LIFTED.
AND YOU KNOW, THE ON-LINE
APPLICATION PROCESS DOES TAKE
SOMETIME BEFORE IT IS APPROVED
AND THE MONEY IS DISTRIBUTED.
>> MEANWHILE, THE GOVERNOR ALSO
SIGNING A LAW THAT SEALS
EVICTIONS RECORDS FROM MARCH OF
2020 WHEN THE PANDEMIC BEGAN
THROUGH MARCH OF NEXT YEAR.
SO 2022.
KIM SAYS THIS IS AN IMPORTANT
PROTECTION SO THAT A HUGE NUMBER
OF TENANTS WILL NOT BE
BLACKLISTED FROM FUTURE
APARTMENTS.
>> WE ARE FILING OF AN EVICTION
CASE GOES ON A TENANT'S
SCREENING REPORT AND A FUTURE
LANDLORD WILL SEE THAT AND NOT
WANT TO RENT TO THEM.
>> NOW, ARENA SAYS TAKE IT FROM
A LANDLORD'S PERSPECTIVE.
>> THEY ARE DESTROYING THE
CREDIT OF THE LANDLORDS.
THE LANDLORDS WHO HAVE NOT BEEN
ABLE TO PAY THEIR BILLS BECAUSE
THEY HAD NO INCOME THEIR CREDIT
IS GOING TO BE WRECKED BUT
NOBODY IS WORRIED ABOUT THEIR
RECORDS.
SO THIS WHOLE APPROACH HAS BEEN
SO ONE-SIDED IT'S FRUSTRATING.
>> AND HE SAYS THAT IF YOU DON'T
HAVE LANDLORDS PROVIDING HOUSING
OPPORTUNITIES THAT THAT IS GOING
TO CAUSE ANOTHER CRISIS A
FURTHER LACK OF AFFORDABLE
HOUSING.
WE COULD SEE SOME MORE HOUSING