Local housing advocates are demanding an end to evictions as federal and state moratoriums expire at the end of the year.Â
As COVID-19 cases skyrocket nationally and in North Carolina, people still face the possibility of getting evicted, housing advocates say.Â
(By Casey Toth | News & Observer) Catrice Otengo was one of thousands evicted this summer after falling behind on her rent because of the pandemic. Now Otengo is renting a room at a local motel.
On Thursday, about 30 people, representing Housing Justice Now and other advocacy groups, protested outside the Forsyth County Government Center, demanding that Forsyth County commissioners and Forsyth County Sheriff Bobby Kimbrough Jr. stop evicting people.Â
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On top of that, the county will be spending another $2.8 million within county departments, restoring budgets that were trimmed 3% earlier and hiring additional social workers and public-health nurses, as well as someone to help guide the county toward clean-energy goals. Money is in there as well to increase employee pay.
From the higher projected revenues, commissioners approved new spending of more than $7.2 million on Thursday.
The Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools will get an extra $2.9 million from that amount, plus another $500,000 from a separate coronavirus relief funds for ventilation-system improvements meant to improve air quality in the schools.
While many of the groups getting additional money are ones that help the needy, commissioners took no action on the demands of more than 30 anti-eviction protesters who gathered outside Thursday while they met.