TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — Sunday's $900 billion stimulus package brought good news for renters who could have been kicked out of their homes on Dec. 31, extending a moratorium on evictions through Jan. 31.
Local leaders, now working frantically to make sure the extra month does more than just delay the inevitable for the nearly 800 people in Leon County who've received eviction filings since March.
Tallahassee City Commissioner Jack Porter joined Legal Services of North Florida on Wednesday to address some of the top questions from struggling renters.
"There should be some rental assistance coming from the federal relief bill and the city is working on programming... passing a program that provides direct rental assistance to and relief to landlords. So there are some options," said Porter. "There's also some mediation options to see if we can keep people in their homes, and work out details between landlords and tenants, but the main goal right now is to keep people in their homes."
The state of Florida is set to receive more than $1 billion in federal rental assistance from the recent stimulus package.
Porter said, while the city works to obtain a portion of that funding, the best preventative measures are to know your rights and to open lines of communication with landlords early.
