Austin Mayor Signs Order Delaying Evictions Amid Coronavirus
AUSTIN, TX — Austin Mayor Steve Adler signed an order this week delaying residential evictions for non-payment through September amid corrosive economic effects of the coronavirus.
Signed on Friday, Order No. 20200724 extends protections for residential tenants in response to the COVID-19 pandemic by extending the safeguard through Sept. 30. The order took immediate effect, prohibiting the issuance of notices to vacate and removal of a tenant's belongings by property owners. The order also states it is in the public interest to prohibit the seizure of a tenant's nonexempt property subject to a lien order, according to a municipal advisory.
This measure supersedes the previus Mayor's Order No. 20200507-10. The orders do not forgive rent payments, the mayor stressed, but gives renters an extended period of time to pay overdue rent.
A similar, previously signed order covered the entire county. On July 22, 2020, Travis County Judge Sam Biscoe issued County Judge Order No. 2020-15 relating to Notices to Vacate and Eviction Proceedings in response to COVID-19. This order also extended the prohibition of eviction proceedings to Sept. 30. There are eviction prevention and homeless programs for City of Austin residents that support low-income tenants with legal assistance, emergency grants for rent or utilities, alternate housing, short-term motel vouchers or placement in a local shelter.
Travis County has numerous online resources for tenants facing eviction, as do the county’s Justice of the Peace Precinct Offices, officias noted. The Travis County Sheriff’s Office provides a concise brochure for Evictions and Lease Terminations. A more extensive description of tenant rights in Travis County can be found through the Travis County Law Library and Self-Help Center. While not a substitute for consulting an attorney, the site provides kits for appealing an eviction, filing appeal bonds, and the record expungement process.
The Austin Tenant's Council offers counseling to prepare for and understand the eviction process, including reviewing the notices tenants have received and assisting tenants with preparing for court if necessary. This service is also offered in Spanish.
The Austin Tenant's Council offers counseling to prepare for and understand the eviction process, including reviewing the notices tenants have received and assisting tenants with preparing for court if necessary. This service is also offered in Spanish.
This article originally appeared on the Austin Patch
