Groups pushing for more tenant protections

Groups pushing for more tenant protections

A moratorium on evictions in Jackson County, Missouri will lift on June 1, and tenants rights organizations say people are still in a bind and are pushing for more protections.

FALL.SHOULD K-C-MO EXTENDITS BAN ON EVICTIONS?A GROUP IS CALLING FORTHAT -- AND OTHERCHANGES -- AS THE FIRSTOF MONTH APPROACHESFOR RENTERS ANDHOMEOWNERS TRYING TOMAKE ENDS MEET.AND AS 41 ACTION NEWSREPORTER SARAH PLAKEEXPLAINS -- ANOTHERGROUP IS TRYING TO HELPRENTERS WHO MAY HAVETO GO TO COURT.Gina Chiala with the HeartlandCenter for Jobs and Freedomstood outside the courthouseon Thursday, trying to helpthose facing eviction.What we're hoping to do isexpand our services so thatwe can provide formalrepresentation to tenants incourt because there's nothingthat beats that..The Heartland Center isasking the city council for65,000 dollars to do this, tohelp those who can't get helpthrough Legal Aid.We're able to accept peoplewho make a little more moneythan those in poverty, butthose people still can't affordlegal counsel so they needrepresentation.During, Thursday's KCTenants virtual newsconference, the group rolledout a new list of demandsaimed at protecting tenantsstruggling during thepandemic.They want the city to cancelrent and forgive debts, extendthe eviction ban, pass atenants' right to an attorneyordinance, ban utility shutoffs,provide housing, and bansource-of-incomediscrimination.So that's why we're calling onthe mayor and the city councilto make available funds forproperty owners to incentingthem to make a deal with theirtenants that would forgive allpast owed debt from thebeginning of March.Mayor Quinton Lucas supportsthese requests and says usingreadily available CARES Actfunds would address each ofthem.We have about $160 millionsitting in the KCMO countiesthat's meant to help people.Zero of those dollars arehelping any of the peoplewe've identifiedA spokesperson for theJackson County courts saidthe trials taking place arebacklogged cases from mid-march, before COVID-19 put ahalt to everything.However, new cases havebeen filed since the pandemicstarted.Sarah Plake, 41 ac