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Resident says eviction-prevention agencies are turning people away until after court summons; urges changes
Summary
A Battle Creek resident described difficulty obtaining rental-assistance help before receiving an eviction summons and urged better coordination among programs that receive public funds to prevent people from being evicted.
During general public comment, Reese Atkins of 84 South 203rd Street described ongoing struggles to obtain rental-assistance help and said local organizations told her they would not provide assistance until an eviction had progressed to the court-summons stage. Atkins said she contacted Community Action, Neighbourhood Inc., and DHS and was told that paperwork or assistance would be discarded if she had not yet been to court. She said that by the time the court issues a summons the sheriff may then enforce an eviction with only 10 days to vacate and that the delay defeats the purpose of prevention programs.
Atkins urged city and community agencies to ensure funds designated to prevent evictions are used to help tenants before they reach the courthouse stage. She said multiple funding sources exist at the city, state and federal level but claimed the delivery systems and eligibility practices were preventing timely aid.
No formal staff report or referral was recorded in the transcript; the comment was made during the general public-comment period.
