How St. Pete's eviction aid program is going
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When she was hired as St. Petersburg's first-ever community support specialist, Beatriz Zafra didn't anticipate how often she would become the bearer of bad news.
- The job calls for connecting tenants facing eviction with legal resources. But often, they first learn from her that their landlord is suing them.
Why it matters: That early warning provides crucial extra time to tenants, who have just five days to respond to an eviction complaint, Zafra told Axios.
- "That's what makes us so effective, the fact that we're there so quickly," she said.
Driving the news: That was a main takeaway from the first year and a half of the community support specialist program, which launched in August 2022 with the goal of curbing evictions.
- It's since expanded to two specialists overseen by Zafra, who was promoted last year.
- Her department also recently published a renters' guide with information including renters' rights and red flags to look for in a lease.
How it works: The day after an eviction is filed, a specialist goes to the tenant's home. If the resident answers, the specialist walks them through the eviction process and what financial and legal aid organizations are out there to help.
- If no one answers, they leave a door hanger with information. The specialists are also available by phone or email to answer follow-up questions.
By the numbers: From August 2022 to last month, nearly 2,600 residential eviction cases were filed in St. Pete. Community support specialists made contact with 1,060 tenants. They fielded more than 1,800 follow-up requests.
The results: 541 eviction cases have been diverted, meaning the case was settled and the tenant was able to stay in their home.
- While it's difficult to tie that result directly to the program, Codes Compliance Assistance director Joe Waugh said another metric gives him optimism the program is working.
- In the first five months of the program, the eviction diversion rate was 14%. When factoring in the last year, the rate jumped to 21%.
- "My hope is the increase is due to the information you're getting out in the community," Waugh said.
What they're saying: St. Petersburg Tenants Union organizer William Kilgore told Axios the program is a great stride. Kilgore worked with community organizations on a similar eviction assistance program during the pandemic and agreed that giving residents more time and information is "critical."
- Still, the social services organizations to which the city directs tenants have their own funding and staffing challenges, he said. It's on the city to help fill those gaps.
- Expanding citywide a program that gives free legal aid to residents facing evictions in certain neighborhoods would be a good next step, he said.
- "At the end of the day," he said, "the key is going to be robust funding."