The Human Faces of Como’s Evictions – Stories of Displacement and Struggle
The Human Faces of Como’s Evictions
Every day, around the world, over twenty human beings are forced to flee their homes and become refugees. This phenomenon has become a global crisis that will not be easily resolved. The number of displaced people is at its highest level in nearly a century. This problem has gained visibility in public, political, mediated, and academic debates, but too often, the voices of those who have been forced to leave their homes are left out.
Our country is facing a historic eviction crisis due to rising rents, a nationwide housing shortage, and protections against eviction that were instituted during the COVID-19 pandemic have largely expired. This has put countless people at risk of losing their housing, including those who are poor, vulnerable, and living in deteriorated, unsafe conditions.
Many of these evictions are also disproportionately impacted by race, gender, and sexual orientation. In fact, Black individuals are more than three times as likely to be evicted as white adults. Moreover, women evicted are 16 percent more likely to be evicted than men, and having children is as likely to be a factor in an eviction filing as falling four months behind on rent.
The Human Faces of Como’s Evictions – Stories of Displacement and Struggle
This article focuses on a specific type of eviction that is particularly disproportionately harmful to Black and Latinx people: the forced eviction of families. We explore how this is a violation of a person’s right to adequate housing and protection against forced eviction, which are both enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.
These evictions are also a violation of the human right to equal protection under the law, and they are a particular threat to the health and safety of children and families. These are all reasons to provide tenants with legal representation in eviction cases. This report aims to highlight the harms caused by these evictions and show how providing a right to counsel can mitigate those harms, keeping families in their homes.
Among the many factors that contribute to the increased risk of eviction, one major issue is that landlords are increasingly seeking the help of the courts to obtain evictions. This can be done in several ways, but often it is through the use of threats. In some instances, a landlord will send a notice of eviction in the mail or call the tenant and threaten them with a lawsuit.
Another method of obtaining evictions is through the use of a legal service company, or private attorney. These services are often offered by attorneys who have specialized in evictions and can represent the evicted tenant and his or her family members. The legal service is typically not paid for by the evicted tenant or her family members.
In the end, these evictions can have devastating consequences for families. Often, the evictions will result in the loss of the family’s home and belongings, disrupting their lives and leaving them in an unstable situation.