News Photo by Crystal Nelson Debra Ross, deputy clerk with 88th District Court, on Wednesday stuffs an envelope with information about rental assistance programs.

ALPENA — An eviction diversion program is helping Northeast Michigan residents remain in their homes.

The Northeast Michigan Community Service Agency has received a little over $304,000 in state money to help low-income people behind on their rent avoid eviction.

The program has helped 153 people stay in 42 households in its first two months, according to NEMCSA Housing Program Supervisor Victoria Purvis. She said the agency has spent about 53% of its funding so far, and funding is set to expire on Dec. 31.

“The program’s working,” Purvis said. “I think it’s an excellent program for the community. Unfortunately, the funding is not going to continue unless Gov. (Gretchen) Whitmer decides to extend this and offer additional funding.”

The program assists people in NEMCSA’s 11-county service area, which includes those in Alpena, Alcona, Montmorency, and Presque Isle counties, Purvis said.

The program replaces Whitmer’s executive order that protected renters from eviction during the worst of the coronavirus pandemic. Those protections ended on July 16.

Purvis said the program allows a special court process for people behind on their rent. In addition to NEMCSA, Legal Services of Northern Michigan, court administrators, and judges are involved with the process.

Purvis said agency officials try to help tenants before the eviction is filed with the court.

She said NEMCSA can pay past-due rent dating back to March, but the landlord has to agree to allow the tenant to remain in the home and to forgive 10% of what’s owed. Depending on the tenant’s income, NEMCSA would either pay a portion or the remainder of the past-due amount.

Purvis said the program protects the tenant’s credit history by keeping an eviction off their record.

“Oftentimes, if they have an eviction on their record, it affects some of the housing complexes they can get into,” she said. “Sometimes, landlords don’t want to rent to them in the future because they have that eviction, and we want to avoid that.”

In addition to helping tenants, Purvis said the program helps landlords save on fees associated with filing evictions with the courts.

If an eviction is already going through the court process, Purvis said, NEMCSA still can help.

Purvis said a lot of people were laid off during the pandemic and the program is another safeguard to ensure people aren’t becoming homeless. She said that, while there is a homeless shelter in Alpena, it is routinely full.

“We all know there’s a lack of affordable housing in the entire state,” she said. “Alpena is not excluded from that, and, in order to end homelessness, we do have to come together as a community and there needs to be more affordable housing options. If we aren’t at the level to create affordable housing, then we need to at least work together to ensure that tenants are able to stay in the house that they have secured.”

Crystal Nelson can be reached at 989-358-5687 or cnelson@thealpenanews.com.