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Federal eviction moratorium ends Saturday. Here's how to get help

Hundreds of renters are concerned about what the eviction moratorium expiration could mean for them heading into the weekend.

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The national eviction moratorium runs out on July 31. The Centers for Disease Control extended it for seemingly the last time in June.

Hundreds of people in Knox County alone are facing evictions if they can't pay. The Knoxville-Knox County Community Action Committee says there's been an uptick in worried renter calls in the last week.

When July 31 comes, landlords can legally evict renters for not following through on payments. 

The federal eviction moratorium doesn't erase the overdue money. Renters are expected to pay back their debt in full unless they've already talked about another plan with their landlords.

The CAC says the organization has helped over 300 people so far. It ran out of funding to assist with the moratorium but is now working with the Knox Housing Assistance initiative.

Misty Goodwin, the social services director at CAC, says over a thousand have applied for rental assistance through KHA.

"People are very nervous and they're worried about, you know, the rent and the eviction coming soon," Goodwin said. "There are several applications in [the KHA system] that are being worked on as quickly as possible."

Goodwin encourages landlords who have also been affected by this crisis to connect their renters with the resources made available to them.

"There's definitely a need out there and that's growing," Goodwin said. "I think people have been trying to sort of just piece it together the best they can."

If you need help and are struggling to make ends meet, there are resources out there.

First, you can call 211. It's the line to help with paying bills, housing, and finding food.

You can go to KnoxHousingAssistance.org for resources and answers to frequently asked questions.

KCDC has a rental assistance program for people in Knox County who may be unemployed, have huge medical bills, or are affected in some way from COVID-19.

If you live outside of Knox County, you can get help here: Tennessee Housing Development Agency (THDA) COVID-19 Rent Relief

Even after the moratorium ends, there will still be another month where applications and help from local resources can be processed.

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