There’s a growing eviction and affordable housing crisis. How we’re trying to help.

Five years ago, I wrote two opinion pieces in this paper warning of our deepening affordable housing crisis. (“Despite progress in Lexington, evictions still common,” May 28, 2016; “Progress, but too little affordable housing,” November 11, 2016)

Since then, three trends have made it immeasurably harder for individuals and families on limited incomes to keep or find housing they can afford

First, “gentrification,” or the conversion of inner-city neighborhoods into more up-scale dwellings for middle class professionals wanting to live near downtown, has continued. The result is that real estate prices and property taxes go up and the traditional residents of the neighborhood can no longer afford to live there, or, too often anywhere else.

Second, the Trump administration turned the Department of Housing and Urban Development away from its historic mission of helping low-income people and those unable to work to keep a roof over their heads.

And finally, effects of the Covid-19 pandemic included many people losing their jobs and many more having to quit work to take care of their kids. As well, there were the poorly paid service industry workers who could not work from home. Many of these caught Covid.

Since last summer, many groups and individuals have worked diligently to put together funds and a system to get them to people struggling to avoid eviction. These include the Beshear administration, Lexington city government, Community Action, and non-profit groups led by Art Crosby at The Fair Housing Council and Ginny Ramsay Ginny Ramsey at Catholic Action Center As the situation has kept changing, so have the responses of LFUCG and the non-profit coalition.

Over time, more federal and state funds became available to help people avoid being evicted because of the effects of the pandemic. Over time the groups mentioned above and The Kentucky Equal Justice Center found ways to coordinate their efforts more effectively. The CDC limited moratorium on evictions related to COVID-19 helped tremendously, often giving people coming into Eviction (Forcible Detainer) Court some weeks to register for available help and make some arrangement with their landlord.

I know how important this has been because I did intake work last fall helping people at their wits’ end connect with agencies that might help them pay their back rent so they could keep their homes.

When the present administration extended the CDC Moratorium further out in time, judges became increasing willing to postpone cases long enough for people to get help.

But now, the CDC moratorium is set to expire at the end of June. Come the beginning of July, many more people will be getting 7-day notices to vacate or have their belongings thrown out on the sidewalk.

In response to this situation, a number of us are reviving the Central Kentucky Homelessness and Housing Initiative, inactive for several years. We are intent on making an all-out push between now and the end of June to tell people threatened with eviction how to get help. This will be our first urgent mission. You will be hearing about our longer-range plans soon.

In the meantime, we need your help to get the word out, at work, through your church, on Facebook, and any other way you can:

If you’re a renter in Fayette County, and you’re struggling to pay your rent or utilities because of the pandemic, you are not alone. LFUCG’s Housing Stabilization Program provides qualifying families with financial support to pay rent and utilities. We will work with you and your landlord to keep you healthy at home.

Fayette County residents should contact Covid19RenterHelp.org. For information: housingstabilization@lexingtonky.gov or call (859) 280-8424. Outside of Fayette County, contact: TeamKyHHERF@ky.gov.

This program is designed to help both tenants and landlords through a uniquely challenging period. Let’s all help make this work.

Rick Clewett, Professor Emeritus at EKU and long-time affordable housing advocate

This story was originally published May 26, 2021 at 11:02 AM.