COOK COUNTY, IL – As the moratorium on filing eviction cases has been lifted, Cook County Sheriff Thomas J. Dart is reminding housing providers and tenants grappling with eviction that they can access the Office’s Community Resource Center for assistance in accessing services and financial help.
“The pandemic was one of the major drivers behind my creation of a Community Resource Center last year when we began to see how the economic pressures created by COVID would create a ripple effect of devastating consequences,” Sheriff Dart said. “The CRC expands access to the social services my office has long provided to households facing eviction with complex family or health needs.”
Launched late last year, CRC team members work directly with the public to help individuals navigate social services, housing, employment, medical and mental health services, among others. The CRC also can help individuals locate existing government rental assistance. The CRC is currently operating virtually and can be reached at via phone at (773) 405-5116, or via email at [email protected] or online at www.cookcountysheriffil.gov/crc/home
The availability of the Community Resource Center is just one of several efforts the Office is taking to address the resumption of evictions after a moratorium that began in March 2020. With significant government rental assistance available, the Office has instituted a policy requiring property owners to confirm there is no forthcoming assistance before an eviction will be enforced. Social workers are also on staff to make outreach to tenants in vulnerable situations to offer assistance during the eviction enforcement process.
While it is unclear how many evictions will be filed in the coming weeks, it is undeniable that the pandemic has been financially devastating not only to many renters, but also to housing providers, many of whom have a small number of rental properties and rely on the rental income to pay their bills.