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Allegheny County eviction rates spike after end of ERAP

ALLEGHENY COUNTY, Pa. — It has been almost one month since the Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) in Allegheny County ended, and eviction rates have already spiked.

“I’m petrified that we are on the brink of a mass homelessness crisis in the city of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County,” said Abby Rae LaCombe, the executive director for Rent Help PGH.

Across Allegheny County, eviction filings have skyrocketed to 267 weekly — a number that exceeds the pre-pandemic rate — and is expected to grow.

“What makes the 267 number important is that we’re still not seeing filings by our historic largest filers,” said LaCombe.

LaCombe said the county housing authorities make up about 30% of evictions, and once they begin to file their evictions, the number of lockouts could double.

“You are going to see homeless seniors. You are going to see homeless children. You are going to see homeless families. And there will not be a place for them to go,” explained LaCombe.

Advocates say no one is immune from what has become a fast-changing rental landscape. Many lease agreements now require tenants to make three times the amount of rent.

Affordable housing rates have also increased by 20% in some cases.

“That is just not a survivable jump for the vast majority of families,” LaCombe said.

As judges move swiftly to process evictions, Lacombe said there are rental assistance programs available, but the question remains as to if there is time to prevent a wave of mass evictions.

“Allegheny County already has close to a 20,000-unit shortage of affordable housing,” said LaCombe. “The best we can do is to try to thwart the tsunami, but it’s already hitting our sidewalks.”

An estimated 18,000 households had been receiving some sort of rental assistance through the ERAP before it ended.

Click here to contact RentHelpPGH.

Click here to contact Allegheny County Department of Human Services.

Click here to contact Pittsburgh’s Urban Redevelopment Authority.

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