Eviction filings in Maine have increased by more than 50 percent in the first few months of this year.
More than 2,000 eviction cases were filed across the state from January through April, according to Maine’s judicial branch. That’s 55 percent higher than during the same period last year, and the highest number over that four-month period in at least 15 years.
Chris Marot, the eviction prevention coordinator with Pine Tree Legal Assistance, attributed the trend to rising real estate prices and to people being evicted from hotels that had operated as pandemic-era shelters.
Marot said an eviction can trigger a wave of short- and long-term challenges that may exacerbate barriers to housing.
“I think what folks are going to see is, if you have an eviction judgment, it’s going to make it even harder for you to find a place to rent to. Because landlords can be more choosy, because of the housing crunch,” Marot said.
While southern Maine has seen some of the highest increases in eviction filings, they are rising in nearly every county across the state. In the northern part of the state, many more eviction filings are being recorded in Penobscot and Aroostook counties.
Frank D’Allesandro, the legal services director at Maine Equal Justice, pointed to similar factors. He said the end of pandemic-era rental relief programs has left many low-income tenants overburdened by the cost of housing as real estate prices continue to climb.
“So people in that situation are unstably housed, and will inevitably be evicted for non-payment of rent repeatedly,” D’Allesandro said.
D’Allesandro said the trend highlights the need for a statewide rental assistance program for low-income renters.
This article appears through a media partnership with Maine Public.
