Pa. eviction, foreclosure ban ends next week: What that means for you

For many Pennsylvania residents, rent is due on Wednesday, since it’s the first day of the month. For those unable to pay right now due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Gov. Tom Wolf put a temporary ban on evictions, but that’s set to expire next week.

Channel 11′s Gabriella DeLuca found out what resources are available to keep the coronavirus crisis from turning into a housing crisis.

If you want to receive local news alerts, please download our WPXI News App. You can also follow WPXI on Facebook and Twitter.

The moratorium was put in place so people who lost their jobs wouldn’t have to worry about rent. Now, many people fear that there will be a wave of new eviction filings once the ban expires next week.

“What happens is if you didn’t pay your rent this month or the month before, the landlord is saying you owe that rent. They’re coming to collect May’s rent and June’s rent now,” said Carl Redwood, chair of the Hill District Consensus Group.

Leaders in the Black community met via Facebook Live on Tuesday to talk about possible answers to this problem and preparations to fight eviction notices.

“We have to make sure that tenants who face eviction have the right to counsel or lawyer, and there’s a couple programs in Pittsburgh that are working to provide legal representation (for those) who are going to face eviction,” Redwood said.

They are in favor of the possibility of forming a community land trust or a housing co-op, but their big hope is that Wolf will extend the moratorium once again so that people won’t lose their homes.

For more information on additional resources available if you need help, click here.

Coalition working to jumpstart Pittsburgh's post-coronavirus economy Coalition working to jumpstart Pittsburgh's post-coronavirus economy

© 2020 Cox Media Group