Thousands of jobless New Orleans residents unable to afford their rent due to coronavirus-related shutdowns are facing the end of another month when payments are due. And with stay-at-home orders still in effect, housing advocates are calling on city judges to extend the eviction halt currently set to expire next week.

A coalition of groups wants the 1st and 2nd City Courts to stop evictions until Aug. 24, long past when state and city leaders hope to reopen the economy. In a letter to judges sent Friday, they argue that New Orleans courts risk creating an administrative nightmare if they don't extend the ban due in part to federal rules banning some evictions until late July.

And while an association representing local landlords warned that many of its members could soon face bankruptcy if prevented from evicting non-paying tenants, advocates said low-income workers need more time to get back on their feet given the state of the local economy.

“The economy opening up does not mean an immediate correction of the past seven weeks. We’ve missed some of the busiest times of this year — no French Quarter Fest, no Jazz Fest,” said Veronica Reed, executive director of Jane Place Neighborhood Sustainability Initiative. “We can’t expect that households will be back to normal.”

Judges in New Orleans moved quickly at the start of the coronavirus crisis to stop evictions. The city courts, which handle almost all residential evictions, suspended them on March 13, four days after the first confirmed coronavirus case in the New Orleans area. Other public officials have supported the bans, arguing that putting people out of apartments could leave them more vulnerable to the spread of the disease.

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Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards announced on Monday that he was extending his stay-at-home order to May 15, which aligns the statewide order with the end of Mayor LaToya Cantrell's stay-at-home directive.

It wasn’t immediately clear how his directive will affect the eviction ban in New Orleans, which is set to expire on May 4. Advocates said that regardless of the stay-at-home order, judges should continue giving local renters leeway.

New Orleanians lost their jobs by the thousands in recent weeks as precautions to stop the spread of COVID-19 closed businesses and brought tourism to a screeching halt. And while the state is now starting to look at the prospect of reopening, it's expected to be a slow process. It also comes just as the hospitality industry’s summer slow period begins, Reed said.

St. Roch renter Daiquiri Jones, who said he lost his jobs at a music venue and a bakery as a result of the coronavirus shutdowns, missed his April rent payment. May is looking just as dicey, he said.

“The other income sources that I would probably venture towards are just not an option anymore,” said Jones. He said he is still waiting on his $1,200 federal stimulus check. But that will only go so far because he was already living paycheck to paycheck before the pandemic.

“I don't have any assurance of what comes next — the stimulus is just a one-time thing,” he said.

Tenant groups said the judges would also face a huge paperwork hurdle if they allow evictions to proceed before August.

In addition to sending checks to many Americans, the massive federal stimulus bill passed in late March, known as the CARES Act, also prohibited property owners receiving a wide range of federal financing from filing for evictions, charging late fees, or issuing a notice to vacate until July 24.

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Since the act also requires landlords to give at least a month’s notice ahead of kicking tenants out, it effectively prohibits evictions until Aug. 24, according to the letter.

The act protects tenants in properties where landlords receive money from Section 8 or other federal housing vouchers, as well as properties with federally backed mortgages like Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac.

Housing advocates estimate that the act protects nearly half of renters in New Orleans and possibly many more. However, they also warn that it’s not easy for tenants to discover whether their properties are covered.

If judges restart evictions before Aug. 24, they will be forced to sift through paperwork to determine whether properties are covered under the CARES Act, Reed said.

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The call to extend the eviction moratorium was signed by thirty-five groups, including Disability Rights Louisiana, the Music and Culture Coalition of New Orleans, the New Orleans Family Justice Center and United Way of Southeast Louisiana.

Veronica Henry, the chief judge of 1st City Court, declined through a spokesman to comment on the letter.

But the Apartment Association of Greater New Orleans, an advocacy group representing property owners, expressed concern about the eviction moratorium on Monday.

Rental payments were down 30 percent through April 5, according to Tammy Esponge, association executive for the industry group.

The eviction moratorium doesn't excuse tenants from their obligation to pay rent, Esponge noted. With months of back rent accumulated, she predicted that tenants will flee or face eviction when courts reopen. Landlords will then have to spend more money preparing their units for the next tenant, she said.

"This type of cycle will bankrupt landlord-owners," she said.

The association also disputes the CARES Act's legality.

"By closing courts and denying property owners the right to evict residents who do not pay rent, owners’ Constitutionally-protected right to have access to courts is also being violated," she said.