BY
Some 30.000 Iowans say they will likely lose their housing due to eviction in the next two months, according to a recent federal survey.
Renters and service providers are bracing for a surge in evictions, as a federal moratorium is slated to expire next week.
The eviction orders are expected to have an impact on Iowans’ ability to find housing for years to come, according to Ericka Petersen of Iowa Legal Aid.
Petersen says, “Even the filing an eviction, even if it doesn’t actually…don’t even end up being evicted, the filing of an eviction dramatically decreases your opportunities for future housing. So it’s huge.”
With affordable housing shortages in communities across the state, Petersen says some renters are finding themselves at a loss for where to go next.
“Other states have turned to things like expungements of eviction records, but we don’t have anything like that here right now,” Petersen says, “and so I think that it is going to harm and does harm a lot of people.”
Qualifying Iowans can get rental assistance to help pay down their bills. More information is available by calling 855-300-5885.
(By Kate Payne, Iowa Public Radio)
