Anna Blackburne-Rigsby and Ms. Blackburne-Rigsby is chief judge of the District of Columbia Court of Appeals. Mr. Hecht is chief justice of the Supreme Court of Texas.
Two-minute trials in crowded courtrooms. Ten-minute evictions. Incalculable suffering. Before Covid, this was — and had long been — the reality in many eviction courts. But during the pandemic, an influx of federal funds has helped courts begin dozens of eviction prevention and diversion programs for landlords and tenants. Often coupled with other reforms, like remote court hearings and community outreach efforts, these programs make eviction court easier to navigate and more accessible.
But federal Emergency Rental Assistance Program funds are running out, and only a handful of eviction moratoriums remain across states and cities. The end of rent and eviction relief comes at the worst possible time: Many people will soon face, and in some cases are already facing, the possibility of being evicted during winter, forced from their homes to face the cruel cold alone during the Omicron wave. The gains from these new programs are in danger of being halted, if not undone completely.
