Landlords must post Health Dept. phone number for evicted tenants
In June, Jewish Memphians for Social Justice gathered on the steps of the Judge D’Army Bailey Courthouse to draw attention to the dangers of evicting families during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Shelby County Health Department said Monday that landlords who are evicting tenants must post notice that the department may be able to provide temporary housing for people who are in isolation or quarantine. (Mark Weber/Daily Memphian file)
In the latest health directive issued late Monday, landlords who are evicting tenants must post notice that the Shelby County Health Department may be able to provide temporary housing for people who are in isolation or quarantine.
Evicted tenants are instructed to call 222-MASK (6275).
Health Directive No. 14 goes into effect at midnight Monday, Oct. 12, but health department officials would not respond to questions Monday afternoon. Health department spokeswoman Joan Carr said officials would comment at the Task Force noon briefing on Tuesday.
It also provides clarification that details related to the opening and closing of K-12 schools are to be made by the local boards of education. The Health Department will provide technical assistance as requested by any school but it does not decide when schools may open.
The issue of providing housing for evicted people while they are in isolation or quarantine is critical to containing the virus.
“You don’t want those people searching for temporary housing with family and friends they wouldn’t have been quarantining with. That would be exposing additional individuals,” said Dr. Chris Hanson, a Memphis pediatrician.
“You also don’t want them being homeless because we don’t want to inject the coronavirus into our homeless population any more than has already happened.”
In early September, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said landlords could not evict tenants earning less than $99,000 for single tax filers or who can prove they have sought government assistance to pay their rent. The policy also includes people who say they cannot pay their rent due to COVID-19 hardships or are likely to be homeless if they are evicted.
Disputes between landlords and tenants over whether the moratorium applies are to be resolved in local courts.
Topics
Health Directive No. 14 Shelby County Health Department Joan Carr evictionsJane Roberts
Longtime journalist Jane Roberts is a Minnesotan by birth and a Memphian by choice. She's lived and reported in the city more than two decades. She covers business news and features for The Daily Memphian.
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