Deadline Looms for Rental Eviction Notices

An Arkansas Supreme Court order suspending certain residential evictions due to COVID-19 ends Saturday, July 25. 

Since March 27, the former University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law Professor Lynn Foster has been tracking evictions of residential tenants for non-payment of rent. There have been nearly 680 court filings between March 27 and July 17, with nearly 200 filed in Pulaski County Circuit Court, according to Foster’s data. 

When the eviction protection court ruling ends on July 25, days later, people will stop getting the extra $600 in federally enhanced unemployment benefits.

“I expect that evictions will go up in August because this is the last week of the CARES Act eviction moratorium as well as the last week people will get the $600 supplemental unemployment check unless the law changes soon,” said Center for Arkansas Legal Services Managing Attorney Kendall Lewellen. 

Arkansas Renters United Organizer Neil Sealy said, in his opinion, he would like to see Congress pause evictions nationwide through the end of the year and provide no less than $100 billion in rental assistance. And that small landlords also need assistance whereas large companies get tax breaks.

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