Flood of evictions expected to hit Oklahoma shares email

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An eviction notice is posted in this September photo. Sheriff P.D. Taylor quit serving notices and enforcing lock-outs shortly after the pandemic was declared. [Chris Landsberger/The Oklahoman]

Storm brewing Oklahoma City could see thousands lose their homes in coming months due to record unemployment and economic turmoil caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Attorneys and academics told The Oklahoman a moratorium on eviction hearings, once ended, will be followed by a wave of evictions creating a homeless population not seen since the Great Depression. Court records reviewed by The Oklahoman show the number of filings over the past two weeks has slowed — but that trend won't continue after the pandemic, warns Richard Klinge, director of the Pro Bono Eviction Assistance Program at Oklahoma City University.