29 Jul End of Eviction Moratorium Will Wreak Havoc in Mississippi and Nationwide

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 29, 2021

Contact: Patrick Taylor, ptaylor@mscenterforjustice.org

Jackson, Mississippi – This weekend, the nation’s eviction moratorium is set to expire. The Mississippi Center for Justice, which operates the state’s only COVID-19 eviction prevention hotline and has helped hundreds of individuals and families, is deeply concerned by how the end of the eviction moratorium will impact the state.

Vangela Wade, president and CEO of the Mississippi Center for Justice, said: “Make no mistake: the end of the eviction moratorium is disastrous for Americans nationwide. Millions of people could lose basic shelter — all while COVID-19 cases skyrocket. The consequences will be particularly grievous in Mississippi, one of the least vaccinated states in the nation. Long before the pandemic ever started, Mississippians were subject to incredibly abusive housing practices. In fact, there is no state where a tenant can be brought to trial more quickly. With the end of the moratorium upon us, we expect there will be a brutal wave of evictions. That will cause COVID to spread even more furiously, while making it much harder for community members to go about their lives — from going to work to pursuing an education. It’s an incredibly dismal reality for our state and the nation.”

In Mississippi, 31 percent of renter households — amounting to more than 111,000 people — are extremely low income. More than 1,100 people in Mississippi are homeless. 

The Mississippi Center for Justice fair housing hotline is 877-352-2269. The covid eviction prevention hotline is 228-702-9983.

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The Mississippi Center for Justice is dedicated to dismantling the state’s culture of inequity and injustice. Support and staffed by attorneys and other professionals, the Center pursues strategies to combat discrimination and poverty statewide.