NBC 6 Consumer Investigator Sasha Jones spoke with one man facing an eviction in one of the potential hotspots for evictions in Miami-Dade once the moratorium expires at the end of July.
The federal eviction moratorium is set to expire on July 31. But President Biden asked Congress Thursday to pass an emergency extension.
A statement released by the White House cited the recent spread of the Delta variant, “including among those Americans both most likely to face evictions and lacking vaccination.” The President also asked for other agencies to extend measures that would protect people living in federally-insured, single-family properties.
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Congress has just three days to move before the eviction ban from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention expires.
Many South Florida renters are already at risk of eviction.
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“It just really hurts. It really hurts,” a tenant facing eviction told NBC 6. “I’m about to get thrown out.”
He asked to conceal his identity as he fears retaliation from his landlord.
“I don’t know where I’m gonna go because I am disabled,” he said.
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His case is just one of the more than 11,777 evictions filed in Miami-Dade County since April of last year.
Data presented to the Miami-Dade County Commission shows possible eviction hotspots throughout the county.
The data is updated monthly and shows over 4,000 residential eviction cases were filed in court since January.
The data pinpointed five zip codes as having the most pending evictions: 33161, 33137, 33132, 33130 and 33142.
The zip code 33161 topped the list with 185 pending evictions. This area includes North Miami, Biscayne Park, and Golden Glades.
According to Census data, it’s also home to a population that is roughly more than 60% Black.
“Miami is also one of the most rent-burdened cities in the nation, so we are the frontline of the potential eviction crisis,” Zaina Alsous said.
Alsous is an organizer with the Miami Workers Center and expects thousands to be impacted when the federal moratorium expires.
She said certain places and people will be impacted more.
“In terms of the profile of who is the face of the eviction crisis in Miami, it is a single mother of color,” Alsous said.
According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, Black renters are facing the greatest hardship. A recent CBPP survey shows one in five renters living with children are not caught up on rent.
For the renter we spoke with, this data hits home.
“I’m about to be evicted, so my daughters had to leave me and go back with their mom,” he said.
In Miami-Dade County, there could be a steady increase of people being forced out of their home.
After pausing the execution of removal orders for months, the Miami-Dade Police Department is now enforcing evictions.
The latest data shows a spike from as few as three executed removal orders in January to more than 500 in May across the county.
