Levine Cava calls housing a ‘fundamental need’ as county moves to stem evictions

As the national eviction moratorium potentially nears its end Saturday — if Congress doesn’t act to extend it — Miami-Dade County will start accepting new applications for its Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) on Friday, County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said.

“Housing is a fundamental need,” Levine Cava told the Herald on Thursday. “It’s something that we know is in desperate short supply in the county. Evicting people puts these families at risk and causes community crisis. We’re very mindful and working very hard to do everything possible to prevent a humanitarian crisis.”

President Joe Biden on Thursday asked Congress to extend the moratorium “to protect such vulnerable renters and their families without delay.”

Regardless, the county is proceeding with its new push for ERAP applicants and is taking other steps to protect renters in dire financial circumstances, Levine Cava said.

“We’ve instituted a case-by-case review of all evictions to make sure it is not COVID related,” she said. “But now because of the [coronavirus] surge — we’re at a rate of positivity of over 11% — we’re going to have to reconsider what we do here. This thing is running rampant. We’re in dire straits. Not to mention we have another 10,000-plus eviction cases in the pipeline.”

The ERAP program, which is funded by nearly $61 million in federal funds, had stopped accepting new applications on June 24. It has provided on average $8,560 in rental assistance to more than 3,480 families since March, or a total of around $30 million, according to the county.

To qualify for help paying up to 12 months of unpaid rent, applicants must prove financial hardship caused by COVID and their annual household income cannot exceed 80% of the area median income of $59,100. The maximum limit to qualify equals $50,650 for a one-person household; $57,850 for a household of two; $65,100 for a household of three and $72,300 for a household of four.

The decision to reopen the application process comes days after the Herald on Monday reported nearly 200,000 severely distressed renters — meaning people who spend 50% or more of their income on rent — are at great risk of being evicted once the moratorium ends.

A huge spike in eviction filings is expected when the moratorium ends. From Sept. 1, 2020, to July 1, 2021, a total of 9,983 evictions have been filed in Miami-Dade, according to the Miami-Dade County Clerk of the Courts.

According to Miami-Dade Police Detective Alvaro Zabareta, a total of 4,130 evictions (including eviction removals and no-service cases where the tenant had already moved out) were carried out between Jan. 1-July 21, 2021.

Levine Cava also said she “considering” reviving the ban on the execution of Writs of Possession, the final step in the eviction process that gives tenants 24 hours to vacate the premises and can only be executed by Miami-Dade police. The ban was originally instituted in March 2020 by former Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez.

On March 10, Levine Cava ordered the resumption of residential evictions of people who were not protected by the CDC moratorium.

The mayor said in addition to the ERAP program, the county is offering assistance to at-risk tenants in a variety of ways. The Court HELP online mediation platform, funded by $100,000 of county money, allows landlords and tenants to access court information and mediation services during eviction proceedings.

The Miami-Dade Homeless Trust also has been actively helping people relocate, Levine Cava said. And the county has been mailing informational cards to people who are in the eviction pipeline, informing them about assistance programs. A website hosted by Camillus House, stopevictionnow.org, offers details on how to apply for the non-profiit’s Homeless Prevention Assistance Program, which is funded by Federal CARES dollars.

Online applications for ERAP assistance will be available starting Friday. In-person paper applications will be available at two locations: Victory Homes, 520 N.W. 75th Street Miami, and Homestead Gardens, 1542 S.W. 4th St., Homestead. For more information about the program, call 305-723-1815.

Landlords and owners with tenants that owe back rent can email LandlordsERAP@miamidade.gov or call 786-688-2440 for assistance.