New Hampshire tenants concerned over rent amid COVID-19 pandemic
Free legal aid provided
Free legal aid provided
Free legal aid provided
New Hampshire tenants are concerned they could face eviction if they cannot make rent during the COVID-19 pandemic.
A steady stream of calls has rolled in to the Legal Advice and Referral Center in Concord. Gov. Sununu has placed a moratorium on evections, according to Breckie Hayes-Snow from the advice center.
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The moratorium does not mean a backlog of rent would not be due eventually, it just pushes payments to the future.
“I can’t speak to what each town across the state will require,” Hayes-Snow said. “My assumption is they all have a process that will include a kind of verification of inability to pay.”
Renters in short-term housing, like hotels or motels, may not qualify as tenants and are not entitled to the same legal protections. Hayes-Snow said there is also grave concern for those in Section-8 housing.
“If they lose their housing they often lose their subsidy,” Hayes-Snow said. “So, they go from being in a place where they can manage their finances to having their rent becoming a much larger percentage of their income.”
To get ahead of the situation, Hayes-Snow recommends renters file for housing assistance earlier rather than later.
People can also apply for free legal aid at NHlegalaid.org.