Wave of evictions still on horizon. Help available for Mississippi renters and landlords – National & International News – WED 25Aug2021

Wave of evictions still on horizon as states sluggish to deliver aid. Grandstanding Congressmen make unannounced “fact-finding” trip to Afghanistan.

NATIONAL NEWS

Wave of evictions still on horizon as states sluggish to deliver aid

Nearly 8 months after Congress approved nearly $47 billion in rental assistance to keep people in their homes, states have distributed only about 11% of that money. Days after the July 30 CDC eviction moratorium elapsed, the Biden administration defied the Supreme Court by declaring another extension, this time to Oct. 3. And that day will be upon us before we know it.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey, about 3.5 million Americans said they were still in danger of eviction as of Aug. 16. But that is likely a vast underestimate. Other reports indicate that at least 11 million Americans are behind on rent.

Housing advocates blame much of this lag on states that have been slow to set up and organize systems of approval and distribution. However, some states and localities have had greater success than others.

Diane Yentel, CEO of the National Low Income Housing Coalition, says “Some communities are spending the money quickly and well, proving that it’s possible and making the many communities who aren’t all the more glaring and unacceptable. Seven months after funds were first allocated to them, nine states have spent less than 3% of the money and 16 states have spent less than 5%”.

Mess in Mississippi

The Mississippi Home Corporation, which administers the Rental Assistance for Mississippians Program, has been among those lagging far behind the need in the state. Part of the reason for this is a pitiful lack of outreach.

Last week, Aberdeen hosted a Rental Assistance Fair to help renters navigate the complex application process. State Sen. Hob Bryan from Monroe County was instrumental in making that even happen. According to Bryan, it is only the 5th such event in the areas administered by RAMP. Bryan says, “There have been three events in the Jackson area, one event in the Delta and this event in Aberdeen”.

I wish I had known about this event beforehand, as I surely would have shared it, even though it was quite some distance for many. As it was, I only learned of it after the fact. At present, I am not aware of any such event being planned in Northeast Mississippi, where 20% of renters are behind on rent on average.

Where you can get application help

If you or someone you know is behind on rent, or you’re a landlord with tenants behind on rent, you can apply directly at ms-ramp.com, or call:

Local: 601-533-8401
Toll-Free: 1-888-725-0063

Application help is also available from two organizations, Covenant Faith Outreach Ministries and Mississippi United to End Homelessness (MUTEH).

Covenant Faith Outreach Ministries
662-690-4009
Contact: Patricia Ross, info@cforminc.org
Office Hours: M-TH : 11 am – 7 pm

(Please be aware, this organization serves Union, Lafayette, Pontotoc, Lee, Itawamba, Prentiss, Tishomingo, Alcorn, Tippah, Benton, Marshall, Calhoun, Chickasaw, Monroe, Webster, Lowndes, and Clay counties)

According to this flyer released by RAMP just today, people living in most areas of Mississippi can also contact (MUTEH) at 601-960-0557. You can also visit the MUTEH website by clicking here.

The MUTEH homepage shows links to click for people in different situations. These include “I am homeless and need housing”; “I am a homeless veteran and need housing”; “I am at risk of losing housing”; and “I am a landlord with tenants behind on rent”. When the page first opens, you’ll see a pop-up to sign up for a “waitlist” for help. This is for people who are just in arrears, but not in a more urgent housing situation.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Grandstanding Congressmen make unannounced “fact-finding” trip to Afghanistan

Since Aug. 14, the US military has evacuated over 82,000 people (mostly Afghans and some Americans) from the Kabul airport. Given the chaos in Kabul, this operation demands a high level of coordination and effort. Add to that a seriously unhelpful distraction that occurred yesterday. Two US Congressmen, Reps. Peter Meijer, (R-MI)., and Seth Moulton, (D-MA) made the near-incomprehensible decision to fly secretly to Kabul to insert themselves into the mix. US military and White House officials were not aware of their departure until they were already in the air.

Needless to say, their arrival complicated matters for US forces on the ground. Troops had to divert precious time and resources that would have been better spent getting more Americans and Afghans out. Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said that, “[Meijer and Moulton] certainly took time away from what we had been planning to do that day”. How Meijer and Moulton thought the arrival of two high-value targets amidst a dangerous situation would help matters anyone’s guess.

It’s difficult to say how long Meijer and Moulton were on the ground in Kabul (they returned the same day), or how many “facts” they could have gathered in such a short time. Both Congressmen are Iraq veterans, which makes their decision to disrupt a large-scale military operation all the more puzzling.

The Congressmen’s stated objective was to conduct an “oversight” and “fact-finding” mission. Ultimately, their goal was “to push the president to extend the August 31st deadline” for evacuations from Kabul. President Biden has made it clear that he does not want to extend the deadline, as the tensions and dangers for US troops on the ground grow day-by-day. He has said he is consulting with military forces to determine what resources they would need if it were absolutely necessary to extend their stay.

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