North Texas Evictions Reaching Highest Levels in Years

Evictions in Dallas are at the highest levels in years.

But rent relief funds in the county have run dry, meaning more people could lose their homes.

NBC 5 got a firsthand look at what that looks like during a ride-along with a Dallas County constable as they enforce and monitor evictions.

“They’ve actually doubled, almost tripled these last couple months,” Dallas County Sheriff Deputy Josue Capetillo said of evictions. “And the numbers show how many we’ve been getting. It has to do with a lot of things. Some people can’t find help, some people can’t find jobs. Some people are waiting for help from rent rental relief and they couldn’t get it. And also, the landlord needs your property back.”

Some renters they encountered were six months behind on rent, like one man in Dallas who said he got sick and couldn’t find a job. His apartment was being cleaned out and he chose to leave behind what he couldn’t take with him.

Deputies enforcing evictions and making sure all sides are following the law say it’s difficult.

“You know, in these kinds of cases, I can’t sit and be on the landlord’s side. I can’t sit and be on the tenant’s side because both of them have their reasons. But I have to go by what the judge ordered,” said Capetillo.

In August, Dallas County saw its highest one-month filing total in at least five years with over 4,300 evictions. That’s according to the Child Poverty Action Lab, a local organization that tracks this data.

Click here to read more from our content partners at the Dallas Morning News.

In September, Dallas County landlords filed just over 4,000 evictions. October data also shows well over 3,000 through last week.

This graph by the Eviction Lab shows the steady increase in Dallas over the last two years, especially after the eviction moratoriums ended.

Source: Eviction Lab

Before COVID, eviction numbers were easier to follow with the seasons. But the pandemic disrupted that pattern.

This map from the North Texas Eviction Project shows Tarrant County is experiencing a higher rate of filings per 1,000 renters compared to its neighbors. So every corner of the metroplex is feeling it.

Source: North Texas Eviction Project

Tenant advocates believe the uptick is due to inflation squeezing family budgets, landlords not accepting rent relief money – which they can legally do – as well as rent prices going way up during lease renewals.

Both the city of Dallas and Dallas County have committed 100 percent of their COVID-related funds from the federal government, helping more than 4,000 households since May 2021.

However, there are resources that can help tenants if it comes down to it.

The Dallas Eviction Advocacy Center provides pro-bono legal help for those facing eviction. A recent study shows that legal representation can greatly increase a tenant’s chances of winning eviction cases in court.

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texasstandard.news contributed to this report.

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