Eviction concerns spread throughout York, spark rally

York, PA — While the Governor and lawmakers consider extending the moratorium on evictions, tensions are growing in certain communities worried about an onslaught of evictions.

“It’s really scary knowing that I am in this situation,” said Noemi Lopez.

For the past 15 years, Lopez and her husband have been working hard to raise their four kids and pay the bills. But COVID thwarted the restaurant industry and killed her husband’s job.

“We have had to live off of our savings all of this time,” she said.

So for the first time in a decade and a half, the Lopez’s are running behind on their rent by a week. Her landlord has given her five days to pay up or face eviction.

“The worst thing, the saddest thing about all of this is that it didn’t matter that I have paid my rent punctually for the past 15 years,” Lopez said.

“It goes around the state. In every region in the state, people are going to be facing evictions,” said Kyle Rivers, Advocacy Specialist for CASA.

In fact, nationwide, Census data says that 21 percent of renting households are behind on payments with an estimated forty million facing eviction in the coming months.

“He is willing to go to work and pay rent but he just can’t find anything,” said Jesus Rodriquez through an interpreter.

It’s a common theme in this economic downturn. And that’s why CASA, an advocacy group aimed at helping the latino population, is leading the York rally, trying to spread the word.

“If this is installed, we are going to have a whole humanitarian crisis in Pennsylvania,” Rivers said.

With one in five adults in PA behind on rent or facing an inability to pay in August or September, this situation is only going to get worse.

“I am just asking for a little bit of patience, a little bit of time so that we can make a payment plan and pay the back rent that we owe,” Lopez said.

And that was an important point during today’s rally, everyone pushing the idea that they are not looking for a free ride, just some understanding while people try to get back on their feet. For now, evictions are moving forward.

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Fearing a flood of evictions, the group, CASA, organized a rally today in York to show the impacts that COVID-19 is having on the economic vitality of the community.

During the rally, about two dozen CASA members gathered holding signs that stated “Cancel the rent.” Citing independent numbers, rally organizers say that out of the nearly five million renters across PA, up to 40 percent could be facing eviction very soon after the moratorium on evictions expired in PA.

Members of the group would like to see the Pennsylvania Legislature move on a package of bills that would extend the moratorium.

Coming up on CBS21 News at 5 and 6 p.m., hear from a mother of four who is facing eviction in York after she says that she has paid rent, on time for fifteen years but is behind by a month.