Mississippi protects renters and landlords; other Southern states should do the same

In October, Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves and the state Legislature took significant steps to protect renters and aid landlords during the current health and economic crisis. The state has invested nearly $59 million toward rent relief – proportionally more than any other state in the Deep South and in stark contrast to Alabama and Georgia’s failure to protect tenants and landlords.

Such efforts are needed amid the COVID-19 pandemic. One report estimates that the Deep South will see over 2 million evictions by January 2021, with landlords losing approximately $4.2 billion in rent.[1]

Even in a good economy before the pandemic, renters across the region struggled with costs that threatened the ability of families to keep a roof over their heads. Georgia reflected the average, where 67% of renters paid more than one-third of their income on housing costs. In Florida, more than three out of every four renters did so. Deep South families with lower incomes, however, suffered the most, spending 50% or more of their monthly incomes on housing.[2] And, of course, these families have seen the bottom fall out of their precarious housing situation amid the pandemic.

Georgia ranked as one of the worst states in protecting tenants during this pandemic,[3] in part because it never issued an eviction moratorium and has invested so little in rent relief. One model predicts that every 1% increase in the eviction rate would result in a 5% to 10% higher incidence of COVID-19 infection, ultimately leading to approximately one death for every 60 evictions.[4]

With the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, Congress gave states the resources to provide stability to renters. States received two large funds with which to address these problems. The largest sum came from the Coronavirus Relief Fund, which provided billions of dollars to states. Mississippi took $20 million from this fund to assist renters. Florida dedicated $280 million from its Coronavirus Relief Funds to stabilize both renters and homeowners.[5] So far, Alabama and Georgia have not used any of the Coronavirus Relief Funds to provide rent relief. Instead, they have taken funds to lower taxes[6] and maintain their prison systems.[7] What’s more, these states will have to return any unspent Coronavirus Relief Funds to Washington, DC, after Dec. 30.

The second source of funding by Congress came through the Community Development Block Grant program that is administered by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Mississippi has dedicated its entire grant – $38.8 million – to rent relief, which allows landlords to apply for grants to make up for lost rent money and protects tenants from eviction when their landlords accept those funds. Alabama only recently released its plan to let local governments decide how to spend the $23.3 million it received from HUD, and whether any of the money goes to rent relief is yet to be determined. Georgia has not made this information public on its website.

It is time for the South to follow the example of Mississippi and Florida and put greater resources into preventing evictions and making landlords whole. In communities across these states, lives depend on it.

ACTION ALERT

If you live in Alabama or Georgia, urge your governor to use your state’s remaining Coronavirus Relief Funds to protect renters and landlords during the pandemic. It not only makes economic sense, but ensuring people have a home during this public health emergency can save lives.

Alabama
Gov. Kay Ivey
info@governor.alabama.gov
(334) 242-7100

Let the governor know the following:

Dear Gov. Ivey,

Our state has over $850 million of unspent Coronavirus Relief Funds that will need to be given back to Washington after Dec. 30. Mississippi dedicated nearly $60 million in federal funds it received to rent relief. Florida has set aside $280 million. Rather than return millions of dollars, I am asking that you follow Mississippi and Florida’s examples and invest Alabama’s remaining funds in our communities by providing rent relief to the homeowners and landlords of families who earn less than $50,000 per year to protect these families most at risk of being foreclosed upon or evicted, according to research by the SPLC Action Fund.

Georgia
Gov. Brian Kemp
(404) 656-1776

Let the governor know the following:

Dear Gov. Kemp,

Our state has a little more than $439 million of unspent Coronavirus Relief Funds that will need to be given back to Washington after Dec. 30. Mississippi dedicated nearly $60 million in federal funds it received to rent relief. Florida has set aside $280 million. Rather than return millions of dollars, I am asking that you follow Mississippi and Florida’s examples and invest Alabama’s remaining funds in our communities by providing rent relief to the homeowners and landlords of families who earn less than $100,000 per year to protect these families most at risk of being foreclosed upon or evicted, according to research by the SPLC Action Fund.

Photo by AP Images