Helene Recovery: Prevent evictions and foreclosures
photo credit: Travis Bordley
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Dear Governor Cooper:
Dear Chief Justice Newby:
On behalf of the undersigned members of NC Inclusive Disaster Recovery Network (NCIDR) and NC Housing Coalition, we urge you to utilize your powers and authority to prevent evictions and foreclosures in areas of the state impacted by Hurricane Helene for 90 days. We believe this action to be within the scope of the power of the judiciary and executive branches and it would extend the important actions already taken by the Chief Justice on court filing extensions to prevent the needless displacement of thousands of impacted North Carolinians – including many of our hardest hit neighbors.
The NC Inclusive Disaster Recovery Network (NCIDR) is a statewide, cross-sector coalition of over 300 organizations founded in 2016 following Hurricane Matthew. We work collaboratively towards a disaster recovery system where all impacted communities can fully recover. The NC Housing Coalition is a founding member of the NCIDR Network and brings nearly 4 decades of experience working to ensure that every North Carolinian has a home in which to live with dignity and opportunity.
The use of eviction and foreclosure moratoriums has precedent in related executive actions undertaken after recent disasters. After COVID-19, we were very thankful that the State of North Carolina acted quickly to invoke an eviction moratorium to ensure that North Carolinians did not face displacement or homelessness. In addition, Hawaii Governor Josh Green, M.D., issued an emergency proclamation banning most evictions for an extended period following the devastating 2023 Maui Wildfires. The situation after Maui is similar to that of Western North Carolina with a topographically isolated area losing significant housing stock and facing an acute housing affordability crisis.
NCIDR Network members working in Western North Carolina say that evictions are imminent and are threatening North Carolinians impacted by Hurricane Helene. Studies and the experiences of survivors from recent disasters show that economic disruption can prevent many survivors, both renters and homeowners, from collecting the funds necessary to remain in their homes. After Hurricane Matthew and Hurricane Florence we saw housing costs increase due to the lack of available housing in the impacted area and the simultaneous increase in housing need as individuals whose homes were damaged or destroyed seek alternative shelter. The best way to address these issues is the use of eviction and foreclosure moratoriums – ensuring that impacted North Carolinians can remain stably housed as their communities begin to recover.
Evictions and foreclosures will slow and worsen the recovery of the impacted areas. Without this requested action, the workers vital to the economy of Western North Carolina will be forced to relocate away from the area. These households will be unlikely to return any time soon. Any effort to assist Western North Carolina in economically recovering from Hurricane Helene will be difficult if there is no workforce able to contribute and benefit.
One of the biggest goals of our network is to ensure that all displaced survivors have a safe, accessible, and affordable place to live while they recover from disasters. In addition to this request for your actions, we will be engaging with the NC General Assembly to ensure funding is available to support rental and homeowner financial assistance as was part of the COVID-19 response.
We request that you assist by lawfully invoking an eviction and foreclosure moratorium for areas of North Carolina impacted by Hurricane Helene for 90 days. Given the extreme need for this action, we request a response within 24 hours of the delivery of this letter.
Contacts:
| Andrew Loeb Shoenig Facilitator, NC Inclusive Disaster Recovery Network Program Director, MDC Inc. | Samuel Gunter Executive Director North Carolina Housing Coalition |
This letter is co-signed by the following members of the Network’s Policy Team:
- AARP NC, Raleigh, NC
- Asheville Food & Beverage United, Asheville, NC
- Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity, Asheville, NC
- Beach Food Pantry, Kitty Hawk, NC
- Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Raleigh, Raleigh NC
- Care Share Health Alliance, Raleigh, NC
- Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy, Charlotte, NC
- Curate, Asheville, NC
- Democracy North Carolina, Durham, NC
- Disability Rights North Carolina, Raleigh, NC
- Down Home NC, Greensboro, NC
- Fayetteville Police Accountability Task Force, Fayetteville, NC
- Financial Protection Law Center, Wilmington, NC
- Food Bank of Central and Eastern NC, Raleigh, NC
- Good Stewards of Rockingham, Mayodan, NC
- Habitat for Humanity of North Carolina, Raleigh, NC
- Helpmate, Asheville, NC
- Just Economics of WNC, Asheville, NC
- Land Loss Prevention Project, Durham, NC
- Mecklenburg Metropolitan Interfaith Network, Charlotte, NC
- MDC Inc, Durham, NC
- NC Black Alliance, Raleigh, NC
- NC Budget and Tax Center, Durham, NC
- NC Coalition to End Homelessness, Raleigh, NC
- NC Council of Churches, Raleigh, NC
- NC Counts Coalition, Raleigh, NC
- NC Farmworker Advocacy Network, Raleigh, NC
- NC FIELD, Inc, Kinston, NC
- NC Housing Coalition, Raleigh, NC
- NC Justice Center, Raleigh, NC
- NC Tenants Union, Durham, NC
- Seeds of H.O.P.E CDC, Lumberton, NC
- Southern Coalition for Social Justice, Durham, NC
- Triangle Community Foundation, Research Triangle Park, NC
- True Ridge, Hendersonville, NC
- Unitarian Universalist Justice Ministry of North Carolina, Durham, NC
- WNC Helene Recovery Guide, NC
CC:
The Honorable Josh Stein, Attorney General, State of North Carolina
The Honorable Phil Berger, Senate President pro tempore, State of North Carolina
The Honorable Dan Blue, Senate Democratic Leader, State of North Carolina
The Honorable Tim Moore, Speaker of the House of Representatives, State of North Carolina
The Honorable Robert. T. Reives, II, Democratic Leader, House of Representatives, State of North Carolina
