Eviction moratorium ends in Illinois, officials face pressure
Photo Courtesy of The Party for Socialism and Liberation - Champaign-Urbana Facebook
The Party for Socialism and Liberation – Champaign-Urbana protests at the Cancel the Rents in Champaign County rally on Sept. 26. Illinois officials are now facing pressure from the community after the eviction moratorium expired on Oct. 3.
October 12, 2021
Illinois’ eviction moratorium that protects tenants from being evicted due to the financial distress of COVID-19 expired on Oct. 3.
The moratorium was put in place at the beginning of the pandemic and states that landlords cannot evict their tenants. Governor J.B. Pritzker has continued to extend the moratorium monthly since March 2020.
Pritzker announced that the moratorium would expire on Oct. 3 and landlords would have the right to use law enforcement in evictions.
The Party of Socialism and Liberation in Champaign-Urbana hosted a protest on Sept. 26 in response to the moratorium expiration. They believe the moratorium should be kept in place and law enforcement should not get involved with evictions.
The PSL works for and with the working class for equal rights of social classes and social issues as a whole and to end the large separation of classes. Their goal is to advocate for the oppressed people in the community.
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They marched through downtown Champaign to put pressure on the city and the sheriff to not enforce this moratorium and to continue providing relief funds for those who cannot pay rent.
In the beginning of the pandemic, Cook County Sheriff’s Department made a statement saying that they would not enforce evictions due to the financial stress people were experiencing as a result of the pandemic. The PSL wants the Champaign County Sheriff’s Department to do the same.
Mick Woolf from the Champaign-Urbana Tenant Union says he is not sure what the outcome of the expiration will be. The Tenant Union works with tenants and landlords to build positive relationships. They also advocate for tenants’ rights.
Woolf says the moratorium has been great for the tenants and for the Champaign-Urbana area.
“People on the lower income end up taking the hit yet again,” Woolf said in response to the termination of the moratorium.
By being around both tenants and landlords, Woolf has seen firsthand how the moratorium has helped the community.
“There still has been funding out there, and while it may not have solved all of the problems, it could have brought parties together greatly,” Woolf said.
PSL has released a petition to stop the evictions in Champaign County. They are calling on the County Sheriff Dustin Heuerman to not take action on the moratorium.
