LYNN — About 50 community activists gathered in front of City Hall Wednesday morning to urge lawmakers to pass legislation that would provide tenants protection from eviction and rent increases for a year.
The demonstration, organized by Lynn United for Change, came a day after Gov. Charlie Baker announced that he had extended the moratorium on evictions and foreclosures for another 60 days.
The eviction moratorium, which was set to expire on Aug. 18, will now remain in place until Oct. 17.
Although Lynn United for Change organizer Isaac Simon Hodes called the extension “good news,” he said that it is not enough, citing predictions from state housing court officials and landlord advocates, who expect there will be up to 20,000 eviction cases upon the moratorium’s expiration.
“That’s two more months of protection against eviction and foreclosure so that gives us some breathing room,” said Hodes. “But the bad news is that two months is not enough. If we don’t do something to deal with the underlying housing crisis, all we’ll end up with is kicking the can down the road and we’ll end up with another 20,000 evictions in the fall.”
Rather than another two-month pause, which will still leave people anxious that they will be evicted from their homes during the pandemic, Hodes said the group was advocating for a year of housing stability during the COVID-19 emergency and recovery through the passage of a bill that is currently pending in the state legislature.
The legislation includes provisions that would protect renters from eviction for non-payment related to COVID-19, halt arbitrary “no fault” evictions and rent increases for 12 months, prevent foreclosures and provide mortgage deferment options for homeowners, and stabilize landlords with an emphasis on owner-occupant and small-scale property owners.
Filed by Housing Committee Co-chair Kevin Honan and State Rep. Mike Connolly in the House and Sen. Pat Jehlen in the Senate, the bill has the support of three members of the Lynn delegation, state Reps. Daniel Cahill, Peter Capano and Lori Ehrlich, who co-sponsored the legislation.
Last week, more than 220 organizations from across the state signed a letter that was sent to Baker and members of the state legislature, which urged lawmakers to pass the housing bill.
“It would give us that stability,” said Hodes. “It would protect tenants who are unable to pay rent during COVID-19 so no one will lose their homes during the pandemic.”
Aura, a West Lynn resident who did not want to disclose her last name, is hopeful that the legislation will be passed so she will be protected from eviction.
After losing her job as a housekeeper, she was not able to pay rent until she received help from the Lynn Housing Authority & Neighborhood Development RAFT program, which provides households with assistance for rent and utility payments.
But despite the support, Aura still fears she could be evicted when the moratorium expires.
“I know we’re all worried about what’s going to happen in the fall,” she said through a translator. “I want to work to pay my rent. I am not asking for free rent, but I am asking for (the state) to protect me from eviction.”
