Trident United Way issues alert for eviction moratorium and utility shut-offs, calling on everyone to be UNITED

UPDATE: Late in the afternooon on April 30, after publication of this, the Supreme Court of South Carolina issued an order to extend the eviction notice moratorium from May 1 to May 15. You can read the entire order by clicking here.

Trident United Way is urging people struggling with housing and utility payments and providers act in a UNITED effort to find solutions so they can all get through this difficult time.

The South Carolina State Supreme Court’s moratorium on eviction notices is scheduled to end on May 1 (see update above, now extended to May 15). People unable to pay rent during COVID-19 could be at risk of becoming homeless if property owners and tenants don’t work together.

Trident United Way urges people who are struggling to make payments reach out to their providers and work out a payment plan. While landlords can pause evictions and utility companies are pausing shut offs, clients will eventually be held liable for their housing and utility bills.


Amanda Lawrence

“We are asking banks, rental owners and utilities to be UNITED with their clients and find a way to move forward together in these challenging times,” said Amanda Lawrence, Trident United Way vice president of community impact. “This is not a time where people should be losing their homes because of a virus they had no control over. There’s only one way we’re going to get through this: united together.”

Helpful links:

Trident United Way and its partner agencies are here to help.

Calls to Trident United Way’s 211 resource line are staggering. Rent assistance calls increased by more than 200% for Charleston and Dorchester Counties in late March, compared with the previous two weeks.

Trident United Way’s Tri-County COVID-19 Response Fund is helping people affected by COVID-19. Funding requests have now topped $500,000 and more money is needed to keep up with the growing needs. Click here to donate.

  

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Celebrating 75 years of service, Trident United Way is a catalyst for measurable community transformation through collective impact in education, financial stability and health. According to the Chronicle of Philanthropy, United Way is America’s favorite charity.