After months of attempting
to create dialogue with acting Sheriff Jeff Mann around troubling eviction
policy’s which include afterhours evictions, excessive force, and alleged theft
of evictees personal property,
DeKalb residents plan to bring concerns and eviction policy recommendations to the Sheriff’s department tomorrow(7/16) at12pm.
DeKalb County is home to the
zip codes of 6 of the 15 highest rates of underwater homeowners in the entire
country according to the Under Water America report published by the Haas
Institute.
Occupy Our Homes Atlanta
continues to be overwhelmed by the number of DeKalb County residents in
immediate housing crisis. There is a clear moral imperative to make the
eviction process more humane for folks going through a very difficult time in
their lives.
In our attempt to reach out to both Sheriff candidates Vernon Jones
committed to enact a six month moratorium on evictions in DeKalb County and
appoint a committee to make recommendations on changing the eviction process in
the county.
Tomorrow American Friends Service Committee joins DeKalb residents and
Occupy Our Homes Atlanta as we deliver a letter to acting Sheriff Jeff Mann
that includes practical recommendations that are already working in other parts
of Georgia and the rest of the country.
Recommendations include:
1. Scheduled Evictions
Many counties and states around the country schedule evictions. We
already know that evictors have to schedule eviction with moving companies, why
not schedule evictions with the resident? As things stand now residents are
subject to a knock on the door at any hour. Scheduled evictions allow residents
the final reminder of the coming crisis at hand and gives them a last chance to
secure their own belongings.
2. No evictions after
hours
After hours evictions can leave families with nowhere to go, no truck
to rent, no storage facility to move things into. We know after hours evictions
have been facilitated in DeKalb County. This is a cruel practice that no family
should be subjected to. We ask that you commit to making evictions outside the
hours of 9am-4pm against DeKalb County policy
3. No evictions during
extreme weather
Going through the evictions process means immediate homelessness for
some, it also means all of your life belongings are put out on the street in
the elements. Many counties will not do evictions in freezing, raining, or 100
degree weather.
4. Costs paid by the
evictor or a cap of public spending
Evictions can bring an enormous cost the county. The banks and private
equity groups that do most of the evicting make an enormous profit. In many
counties the evictor pays for the process, in some cases counties put a cap on
what they will pay for.
5. Relocation and 30
days storage for belongings
One of the most dehumanizing parts of the eviction process is having
your things dumped in the front yard. Not only are families immediately faced
with the prospect of having nowhere to go, they also have to protect their
belongings. Furthermore this process is bad for the whole community, effecting
the financial and spiritual value of the neighborhood. Many counties, and some
states, require the evictor pay for property to be moved to a storage facility
for at least 30 days.
6. Handle belongings
with care
Often times peoples belongings are destroyed or stolen during the
eviction process. We hope that as Sheriff you are able to facilitate stronger
accountability for your constituent’s belongings during the eviction process.
7. Referrals for housing
services
Many facing evictions have now where to go. As a point of policy it
would be fairly simple to provide those being evicted with a comprehensive list
of service providers in the area.
