MECKLENBURG COUNTY, N.C. — An eviction moratorium kept many people in their homes during the pandemic. Those protections are long gone now, and new data shows Mecklenburg County residents are struggling to make payments and avoid evictions.
“A typical year in Mecklenburg County is about 30,000 eviction cases,” Isaac Sturgill, housing attorney for Legal Aid of North Carolina, said.
According to the Mecklenburg County Sheriff's Office, evictions are exceeding pre-pandemic levels.
From January 2019 to April 12, 2019, there were 2,927 evictions. Compared to January 2023 to April 12, 2023, there were 3,512 evictions -- a 585 difference which is almost a 20% increase.
"That’s going to affect our community," Apryl Lewis, Action NC organizer, said. "Of course we're going to have increasing crime because people are struggling and stressed out and doing things to survive, not having a house is horrible."
During the pandemic, many people lost their jobs. The federal government took a series of steps to keep people in their homes, like the eviction moratorium and rental assistance. But now with high rents, inflation, and no COVID-19 protections in place, people are struggling more than ever.
“People are just having to make hard decisions: Do I want to eat, or do I want to live?" Lewis said.
Sturgill said there are too many evictions happening, but it's not a new problem.
“Even before the pandemic the eviction rates in many places across the state were higher than the nation average," Sturgill said.
Eviction can drive people to homelessness and a cycle of poverty that is difficult to escape.
“Being evicted is going to hinder so many individuals, from disabled seniors, school kids, just not being able to live," Lewis said.
Experts say it's important to know your rights, a landlord has to get a court order before they can legally kick a tenant out. Also, if you are served an eviction notice, go to your court date.
Legal Aid does offer free help to tenants who qualify.
Contact Lexi Wilson at lwilson@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.