DETROIT (AP) - Dozens of people rallied outside a Detroit courthouse Monday, calling for a renewal of the city’s ban on evictions.
“We think it’s a huge mistake to allow (the moratorium) to end today,” said Joe McGuire, an organizer with Detroit Eviction Defense. “And 36th District Court has shown by its previous actions that it has the power to ban evictions in the city on its own, and it needs to use that power to help the people of Detroit.”
A monthslong state freeze on evictions amid the coronavirus pandemic expired in July, although Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said landlords could apply for millions of dollars in government assistance if they let people stay in their homes.
Detroit’s 36th District Court suspended evictions in March ahead of the state’s restriction. But hundreds of Detroit residents now could be in jeopardy after a moratorium lapsed over the weekend.
“There’s a huge amount of fear right now in people’s heads about what’s going to happen in the next couple of months,” McGuire said.
About 50 people chanted and held signs as they marched outside the downtown courthouse next to Ford Field, home of the NFL’s Detroit Lions.
Khalifa McZeal with Detroit Eviction Defense, which helped organize the rally, had a message for those facing eviction.
“We’re here to make sure that you get all the representation that you need and that we want to make sure that the courts know that these people are not alone,” she said.
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