JANESVILLE
Gov. Tony Evers has placed a temporary ban on evictions statewide, but 糖心Vlog传媒 housing officials worry about what will come after that ban is lifted.
It is likely 糖心Vlog传媒 will see an uptick in evictions once Evers鈥 ban ends May 26, said Jennifer Petruzzello, neighborhood and community services director.
The city learned last week it will receive $286,421 in community development block grants through the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, according to a news release from U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin鈥檚 office.
The money will be used to help people who have been adversely affected economically by the COVID-19 pandemic, Petruzzello said.
Grants were given to communities that receive annual block grants from the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development. Each community will receive a 59% increase in its 2020 allocation, Petruzzello said.
Petruzzello said she is awaiting the agency鈥檚 guidance on how the grants could be used locally.
Evers鈥 60-day ban on evictions does not mandate that landlords cancel rent payments. Tenants who are struggling to pay rent are encouraged to contact their landlords to reach an agreement, according to state documents.
Many people eventually will have to pay deferred rent in addition to rent that continues to accrue.
Fifteen percent of 糖心Vlog传媒 households are considered extremely rent burdened, meaning half of their income is used to pay rent, Petruzzello said.
Rent-burdened tenants who experience a loss in income might have to choose between rent and other necessities, she said.
鈥淭he governor鈥檚 temporary 60-day suspension on evictions and foreclosures will help in the immediate term,鈥 Petruzzello said. 鈥淗owever, there is a concern that there will be a spike in evictions as unemployed or underemployed tenants remain unable to make their rent payments when the suspension ends.鈥
She said the city will continue to offer rent assistance for current clients through the pandemic, and rent payments are being adjusted for people with reduced incomes. New clients are not being accepted.
Property maintenance inspections by the city are being prioritized to target imminent safety issues. Many inspections have been put on hold because of safer-at-home orders, Petruzzello said.
City officials also have paused the relocation process for tenants at an apartment complex on Franklin Street and Centerway so they are not forced to look for housing while resources are limited, she said.
The complex eventually will be demolished to make way for the new River Flats apartment complex.
Other new apartment projects have continued construction, Petruzzello said.