About one in four Kentucky adults live in a household that missed last month’s rent or mortgage payment, or who aren't sure they can make next month’s payment on time, according to a U.S. Census Bureau survey.
The National Coalition for a Civil Right to Counsel makes a more dire prediction, estimating that 44.3% of Kentucky renter households are at risk of eviction and the state could see 149,000 eviction filings in the next four months.
From 2017 through 2019, Kentucky saw 127,522 total eviction filings.
During his media briefing on Tuesday, Gov. Andy Beshear said he believes the number of at-risk Kentuckians is much lower than previously thought, saying most who were struggling have reached payment plans with their landlords.
And while he suspended evictions for nonpayment in May, the outcome of a federal lawsuit that challenges that order and a recent decision by the state Supreme Court could allow for most eviction cases to resume in full just as the state's coronavirus cases are on the rise again.
Landlords have said some renters are taking advantage of them and not working with them to find solutions and that missed rent payments are impacting maintenance, payroll and other expenses.
A mediation session for the lawsuit was scheduled for Thursday morning. The Supreme Court is part of that discussion, Beshear said.
"I know that there have been some possible outcomes that have gone back and forth, trying to find that right area where no one who is unable to pay because of COVID is evicted," Beshear said. "But at the same time those that can, can't use it as a reason to simply not pay."
During his briefing on Thursday afternoon, Beshear said the last update he received on the mediation session was that it did not look like there would be a resolution.
"If there is not a resolution then ... we'll move forward and we will defend our order," he said.
He added that he believes the Supreme Court's decision would allow for eviction cases for nonpayment to be filed — although any trials could not start until Oct. 1 — but his order would still prevent people from actually being pushed out of their homes.
I can't imagine that the Kentucky Supreme Court would evict hundreds of thousands of people into a pandemic and depression, but if they decide it, there's not much that will stop things from happening very quickly. It's be a cataclysm of course to have, I don't know, something like ten percent of the state's population rendered homeless heading into this winter, but here we are.
And Mitch and the Senate GOP's top priority is protecting businesses from COVID-19 lawsuits. That's all that matters to them. Millions of homeless Americans?
Well, they won't be able to vote against Trump if they don't have an address, will they?
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