SE Grand Rapids News

The eviction ban in Michigan has been lifted as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to cause unemployment, according to Bridge Michigan. 

The eviction ban, which Gov. Gretchen Whitmer put into place as an executive order in March, expired July 15. The ban initially blocked renters from being evicted from their homes amid the COVID-19 fallout.

While it’s been extended several times, the "eviction diversion program" is now taking its place. That program assists low- and middle-income tenants in paying their rent if they’ve been affected by the pandemic. It can provide financial assistance for those who are in dire need, now that evictions have resumed.

Michigan officials have been working to make sure this fund is available sooner than later. Still, housing advocates say it might not be allotted until early next month after courts can move forward with evictions, which could total as high as 75,000.

“It’s almost like the eviction diversion funds are seen as the answer to what’s going to happen down the road, and everybody’s forgotten about all the folks that are in the pipeline,” Ted Phillips, executive director of the United Community Housing Coalition, told Bridge Michigan. The organization could be one of many to offer financial help for tenants. 

Eviction cases reached into the thousands when courts closed in March because of COVID-19. The number is roughly 2,600 for Detroit households alone. The Motor City received eviction judgments in February and the first couple weeks of March -- 463 eviction notices and 99 pending orders of eviction. More than 720 cases hadn’t yet been processed when courts shut down in mid-March. 

Phillips said he’s concerned about the gap between continuing eviction cases and funding for assistance becoming available. 

“All of those things are a good indication that there is a strong potential for a lot of people to be evicted once the moratorium is lifted,” Phillips told Bridge Michigan.