ST. LOUIS — The City of St. Louis will begin direct payment to tenants for housing assistance and use local funds to speed up applications.
There are more than 3,000 eviction cases pending on the docket in the city, St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones' office said.
Late last week, a St. Louis Circuit Court judge signed a ruling that reinstated an eviction moratorium through Oct. 3. The ruling acknowledged the CDC’s recent announcement that bans evictions for most of the U.S. through the same date.
“My administration allocated nearly $3 million to get more shots in arms and expedite rental and utility assistance for families, and we continue to streamline the process to reach families at risk of eviction,” Jones said in a news release last week. “Confronting both these crises is essential to protect St. Louis families and stop the spread of COVID-19.”
Previously, federal rules required rental assistance to go directly to landlords or utility companies, but the US Treasury updated its guidelines after some landlords weren’t willing to participate in the program. Now, the treasury allows funds to go directly to renters.
At a press conference last week, Jones said the city was working to get walk-in clinics up and running for those seeking rental assistance. The city has partnered with Horizon Homes to open walk-in clinics on the north and south side of the city.
Jones said to get more clinics up and running as fast as possible, the city needs volunteers. Click here if you'd like to volunteer.
“We need volunteers to support their neighbors and join these clinics to help out,” Jones said.
In-person clinics will be hosted Monday-Saturday at the following locations starting Aug. 11:
Horizon Housing
- 3001 Arsenal, St. Louis, MO 63118
- Monday-Saturday: 9 a.m. – noon
- Wednesday & Thursday: 9 a.m. – noon; evening clinics: 5:30-8 p.m.
Wohl Recreation Center
- 1515 N Kingshighway Blvd, St. Louis, MO 63113
- Monday-Saturday: 9 a.m. – noon
- Wednesday and Thursday: 9 a.m. – noon; evening clinics: 5:30-8 p.m.
Watch the full press conference below:
St. Louis residents in need of rental and utility assistance should dial 211, call 800-427-4626 or email 211cares@stl.unitedway.org. To view full eligibility criteria, visit the city’s website.
U.S. Rep. Cori Bush slept outside the U.S. Capitol Building in response to the eviction moratorium expiring. Bush said she protested for the millions of households facing eviction over the next month.
"I've been evicted, I've lived in a car before. I don't want anybody else to go through that. I definitely don't want my people in St. Louis to have to live through that," she said.