Milwaukee evictions surged after state, federal bans lapsed

[Eugene]

Source: Howard Center for Investigative Journalism via AP

Milwaukee evictions surged after state, federal bans lapsed

By MARY HENNIGAN and ABIGAIL ZIMMARDI / The Howard Center for Investigative Journalism
September 5, 2020

MILWAUKEE, Wisc. (AP) — As the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Milwaukee residents Estella Johnson and her husband were struggling with reduced work hours and were fighting an eviction order from a landlord she said doesn’t perform repairs and who changed the locks without notifying tenants.

Johnson couldn’t get into her apartment for five days and could not access her mail for more than a month because of the mailbox changes. When she finally got her mail, she discovered a warning of an eviction. “By the time I got my five-day notice from them, it was past the five days,” Johnson said.

Johnson’s landlord, Berrada Properties, is one of the leading filers of evictions in Milwaukee. The city had one of the highest rates of evictions nationwide before the pandemic, with about 15 evictions every day in 2016, according to Eviction Lab data.

This year, Berrada led the way: Berrada Properties and its 18 affiliates were responsible for 17% of eviction filings in Milwaukee city and county since March 27, 2020, or 487 of the 2,929 filings during that period.

Wisconsin was one of the first states to lift its eviction moratorium on May 26. Milwaukee city and county tenants saw a surge in eviction filings — nearly 1,370 cases in July, up from just 15 in April. With the increased eviction filings, Milwaukee housing advocates have seen their workload triple compared to pre-pandemic eviction cases.

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Read more: https://apnews.com/84a83a593236a6831ef875d3ca03f832

[Skittles]

1. FIVE DAY notice?

WTF