Eviction Relief and Resources

*NOTE: AHCH does not have an eviction program and values promoting community resources that help end or diminish homelessness. Please check out the community resources available for eviction prevention in our community. UPDATED: 8/04/2021 If COVID-19 has caused economic hardships in your household, you may be eligible for Emergency Rental Assistance in the state of New Mexico. There is still plenty of funding available for housing expenses such as rent, utility bills, and trash removal. Act now and get the help online through renthelpnm.org to receive rental and utilities assistance to households experiencing economic hardships due to the ongoing pandemic. Landlords, you can also apply on behalf of your tenants to support individuals and families during this difficult time. The situation in New Mexico is as follows. What about the state’s eviction moratorium? Last year, New Mexico enacted a moratorium to suspend peasant eviction procedures. It is intended for residents who cannot pay the rent to move out. Evacuation continues for other reasons. The State Supreme Court has decided when to lift the state’s moratorium, and no expiration date has yet been set. What is being done to help people face evictions?

The federal government has allocated up to $ 284 million in rental assistance to New Mexico, with two major counties taking their own initiative to provide tenants with unpaid rent, utility bills, and other costs. I am. The money may be used for 15 months rent and other expenses including internet access. If authorities are slow to distribute aid, the federal government may wipe out unused money. So far, the state has estimated that it has distributed at least $ 17 million in rental and utility assistance, acknowledging concerns that many eligible tenants may not have applied. Read more here. 

#WeAreInThisTogether #EndHomelessness

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Renters in New Mexico and across the country are facing sharp upticks in evictions in the next several months, as federal protections related to the COVID-19 pandemic have expired. If your landlord has filed a petition for a writ of restitution (an eviction or collection proceeding) against you for nonpayment of rent or any other reason you must participate in the hearing set by the judge recommends New Mexico Legal Aid. Further, If you want the court to stay your eviction for NONPAYMENT OF RENT during the public health crisis, you will need to provide the judge with evidence of your current inability to pay your rent at the hearing on the petition.   The New Mexico Supreme Court has issued an order placing a temporary moratorium on evictions for inability to pay rent during the COVID-19 public health crisis. Judges will stay the execution of writs of restitution that property owners can obtain and give to law enforcement to force the removal of a tenant according to newmexico.gov Hearings will be held by video or phone, unless the parties file a motion for an in-person hearing during this public health crisis. The Albuquerque Journal reports while no one knows precisely how many New Mexicans would lose housing, Reilly White, an associate professor with the University of New Mexico’s Anderson School of Management, said the burden will fall heaviest on renters who were already struggling to make ends meet. There is help available to Albuquerque residents who are facing potential evictions. The Eviction Prevention Program (EPP) is federally funded through the United  States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The program is designed to provide emergency rental and utility assistance to income eligible households within the Albuquerque city limits. Click here to see eligibility requirements for the rental assistance program followed by additional resources:

• For more information on the eviction prevention program, please contact your nearest Health & Social Service Center, or call 311. TTY users call 711 for assistance.

• New Mexico Legal Aid – 833- LGL HELP (833-545-4357)
• Senior Citizens Law Office – (505) 265-2300, (Serves residents of Bernalillo, Sandoval, Valencia and Torrance counties who are 60 or older).
• Legal Resources for the Elderly Program, 800-876-6657 statewide; 505-797-6005 in Albuquerque, (Statewide free legal helpline for NM residents 55 and older.)