Asked:
- If you’re renting (residentially or commercially) — what arrangements, if any, have you been able to make with your landlords over the past two months? If you haven’t made changes, are you looking to? We want to hear from you.
- Or, if you are a landlord managing property in the 828, how have you been impacted over the past few months, and how would you like to see local governments to respond to this issue? Email us to share your story.
As businesses around our community begin to reopen (click here for more information on Phase One of the governor’s plan) we know that things are still far from normal. Unemployment in NC passed 1.1 million people last week — tipping unemployment rates to ~4.5% statewide and just under 4% for Buncombe County. More than 880,000 claims are directly related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
And while the state is adding 1,000 new workers to call centers to help process aid requests, we know local residents and businesses alike have been faced with unprecedented pressure to pay overhead bills on time. Mirroring nationwide calls, some locals are even advocating for a rent strike in Asheville.
Throughout the mountains, residents + businesses have struggled to maintain rent payments since the pandemic. The federal CARES Act prohibits the filing of eviction suits of residential renters prior to July 25 + an executive order from Governor Roy Cooper has halted evictions until at least June 1. But according to the NC Justice Center, rent is still due and renters can be evicted for nonpayment or charged late fees when these measures expire.
So we want to hear from you: If you’ve experienced unemployment or financial hardship due to coronavirus, have you been able to negotiate with your landlord? If you’re a landlord, we want to hear how you’re navigating all of this too — what terms have you set to help alleviate economic pressures for both parties? Let us know here.
