Hawaii groups to take more action against illegal evictions

HONOLULU — Several organizations plan to take more legal action against landlords who violate Hawaii’s moratorium on evictions over unpaid housing bills during the coronavirus pandemic.

Under Gov. David Ige’s April emergency proclamation, landlords are prohibited from evicting tenants for failing to pay rent or other charges associated with the cost of living. Raising rent is also prohibited. Violating the proclamation can be prosecuted as a misdemeanor with penalties of up to a year in jail and/or a $5,000 fine.

Advocacy groups like the Lawyers for Equal Justice say that illegal evictions are on the rise. The organization said it is pursuing a case against one landlord they claim intimidated a family for not paying rent, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported Wednesday. The family was then forced to find separate housing with relatives, the Lawyers for Equal Justice said.

Dan O’Meara, the managing attorney for the housing and consumer unit at the Legal Aid Society of Hawaii said his law firm receives over 25 calls per week from renters alleging illegal harassment and eviction threats from landlords.

“There’s a lot of nagging and bullying,” O’Meara said.

O’Meara said the coercion has included shutting off utilities, lockouts and intimidation. He said his organization has recently sent several demand letters to landlords.

These organizations say this issue is disproportionately affecting lower-income and Pacific Islander households. O’Meara expects the problem to swell following the expiration of the extra $600 per week in federal assistance.

Dina Shek, the legal director for the Medical-Legal Partnership for Children in Hawaii, said the state needs to do a better job at enforcing the moratorium.

“We’ve seen too many people being illegally evicted by landlords, even when they are caught up with rent or awaiting long-delayed unemployment benefits, and these are clear violations of the governor’s emergency orders,” Shek said.