Housing advocates and public officials expect a sharp increase in the number of evictions when court hearings resume August 3.
They worry a proposed $50 million housing assistance plan may not provide the necessary aid to avoid thousands of evictions filings, according to the Press Herald. More than 500 eviction proceedings were already in the works but held up do to court closures.
Eviction proceedings have been on hold for the past three months as the state navigated the economic cost of dealing with the pandemic.
The Maine Affordable Housing Coalition aims to build an eviction database that law- and policymakers can use to better inform their decisions as they address the boom. Advocates say if nothing more is done, thousands could end up without secure housing.