Dallas Evictions 2020

“Prior to the pandemic, eviction moratoria were only used in response to natural disasters like Hurricane Katrina and threats like the terrorist attacks of 9/11, and they were very short-term, one to two weeks,” Emily Benfer, an Equal Justice Works fellowship says. “This is the first time housing has been part of a public health response on such a widespread scale. It’s critical to memorialize that and capture the effects.”

Meet a health justice advocate working to prevent evictions during COVID-19 pandemic Emily Benfer has spent most of her career “trying to move further upstream in the problem intervention.” Photo courtesy of Emily Benfer

Justices of the Peace can no longer postpone cases. Landlords can face civil or criminal penalties if they violate these federal guidelines. And judges still encourage landlords and tenants to use the Texas Eviction Diversion Program, which, after approval, pays current and back-payments of rent directly to the landlord.

Texas Supreme Court makes eviction filings easier, although CDC moratorium still applies The Texas Supreme Court has recently removed some steps, making it easier for landlords to evict tenants, but help is still available for those in need.

As of 3/21/2021, there is $760,093,834 available in rent and utility bill assistance still available through TexasRentRelief.com. That's a 25% decrease in the past 2 weeks, which means that applications are being processed and it's FAST.