More than 45,000 tenants in 16 states and Washington, DC, have avoided eviction for financial hardship during the 15-month COVID-19 pandemic based on the preliminary results of a national Housing Stability Program being rolled out by WinnCompanies, the company said in an announcement.
WinnCompanies said the program helped more than 15,000 households that normally would have faced eviction proceedings to stay in their homes. The company said the support is offered through a combination of negotiating realistic and responsible payment plans, providing one-on-one help to secure rental assistance funds and recalculating rent obligations based on a better understanding of household expenses for subsidized renters.
“The payment and collection of rent is fundamental to a functioning housing market, however it’s time to improve the way our industry thinks about these issues. We can make eviction our last resort, rather than the first reaction,” WinnCompanies CEO Gilbert Winn said in the announcement. “This program can become the blueprint, as well as a toolkit, for large and small landlords to not only reduce evictions and homelessness, but also preserve much of the rental income they need to maintain quality rental housing. Renters should have a safety net when they fall on hard times through no fault of their own.”
