Pritzker extends eviction moratorium, adds landlord protections
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WICS/WRSP) — Gov. JB Pritzker extended the moratorium on evictions across Illinois for another 30 days on Friday, Nov. 13.
The moratorium was initially set to expire on Saturday, Nov. 14.
He also added new landlord and property owner protections, something Springfield landlords say has been desperately needed.
"Landlords and property owners are a crucial part of Illinois’ housing cycle, just as much as renters, and they deserve protection, too," Pritzker said.
Pritzker said more people have applied than can be helped with the state's $300 million rental assistance programs.
"This is our paycheck," Springfield landlord Jeff Hubbs said. "This is how we make a living."
With eviction orders impossible to file in the courts, Hubbs said many tenants have simply stopped paying.
"We're still having to make a mortgage,” Hubbs said. “We still have to pay our property taxes. We still have maintenance issues. If something goes down, we're still responsible for that, but it's hard to take care of those problems if you don't have income coming in from people who don't want to pay their rent."
The Springfield Area Landlord Association (SALA) reports that 28% of tenants across the city have stopped paying rent.
"We definitely are losing rent money,” SALA Spokesperson Stella Dean said. “So, we're having to pay that out of our own pocket, which is sometimes nothing."
The new protections issued by the governor include requiring tenants to submit proof to their landlord about why they are unable to pay due to the impact of COVID-19.
The moratorium also no longer applies to anyone making more than $99,000 a year or to joint filers who make more than $198,000 per year.
The state has distributed $182 million of the original $300 million in rental assistance available. That amounts to more than 40,000 renters helped.
