United Community Housing Coalition Support Us COVID-19 Relief Resources What We Do About Make It Home program Careers Support Us More Preventing eviction, foreclosure, and homelessness in Detroit Helping low-income residents stay in their homes and strengthen their communities, through representation, support, and ownership. Eviction Prevention The Coronavirus Emergency Rental Assistance (CERA) program is designed to keep Michigan residents who fell behind on their rent during COVID-19 in their homes. The program utilizes a special court process to get fast rental assistance for renters who have been affected. For information, click the links below. Detroit, Hamtramck, Highland Park Statewide Tenants in Wayne County who have received a 'Notice to Quit', a summons from the court, or received verbal or written notice of your landlords' intention to eviction you should call the Eviction Hotline at 866-313-2520 Attend an information and intake session, hosted by UCHC on: Wednesday afternoons at 3pm, and the 3rd Saturday of each month at 11am. Sign-in begins at 30 minutes before each session start time. Your name and a court case # is required. Zoom Meeting Information: bit.ly/CERAworkshop Call in #: 929-205-6099, Meeting ID: 944 8650 4421 Review the Detroit CERA webpage to ensure your eligibility. FY 2018/2019 COVID-19 Notice | February, 2021 All persons seeking assistance from the United Community Housing Coalition (UCHC) or Michigan Legal Services (MLS): Due to the current public health concerns about the spread of the COVID-19, UCHC and MLS are closing the offices to the public until further notice, however our staff is still working. We will be reevaluating the situation daily to determine when it is safe to reopen the office. For regular updates, please visit our website and social media pages. WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW If you need help regarding a landlord-tenant or other eviction matter: The Center for Disease Control and the Department of Health and Human Services recommended a national ban on evictions until the end of July, 2021. There is now a further eviction moratorium in place until at least August 16th. The local 36th District Court has not yet made a statement about this order, and we strongly encourage all tenants with upcoming eviction hearings to attend their hearing. The current CDC eviction moratorium applies to anyone experiencing COVID-19 hardship who is unable to pay their rent as a result. Tenants must complete the CDC' declaration form and copies must be kept by the tenant and given to the landlord. Find the declaration form here: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/downloads/evictiondeclare_d508.pdf If you currently have a judgment, you could be facing an eviction. If you need assistance call (313) 355-3352 or email us at eviction@uchcdetroit.org. We will be checking these regularly. If you have a pending tax foreclosure: UCHC's Tax Foreclosure Hotline can be reached at 313-405-7726 On Friday, May 7th, 2021, the Wayne County Treasurer's Office announced that they will not foreclose on any occupied properties in 2021. If you received a notice of tax foreclosure or forfeiture at your primary residence, this announcement means your property will not be foreclosed this year. If you're a low-income Detroit homeowner, we recommend you complete the HOPE (formerly HPTAP) poverty tax exemption. You may have received a colorful application in the mail inviting you to apply. Fill it out on your own or contact UCHC for assistance. We recommend all low-income owners apply for HOPE, even if you do not have back taxes. If you're a low-income owner AND you have back taxes owing to the Wayne County Treasurer, HOPE (formerly HPTAP) could help you qualify for the new payment plan called “PAYS.” This plan can significantly reduce debt. Once approved for HOPE, you will receive a letter from the Treasurer with instructions for getting on the PAYS plan. If you are invited to PAYS, call the Detroit Tax Relief Fund (DTRF) for financial assistance in paying off your remaining tax debt at 313-244-0274. For more information about HOPE and PAYS, as well as a link to the HOPE application, go to https://detroitmi.gov/PAYS or visit our Resources page. If you're a non-owner living in a home facing tax foreclosure and would like to become the owner, call the Make It Home hotline at 313-241-7009. Enrollment for the program will begin in April 2022. If you need to reach us regarding an immediate tax matter, please call our tax hotline at (313) 405-7726 and leave a clear message with a number to reach you – OR – you can email us at taxhotline@uchcdetroit.org. We will be checking both regularly. If you have a payment to make: If you need to make a payment or a deposit, there are 3 payment methods: 1. Money order or cashier's check -- You can mail in or drop off a money order at the front desk. Make it out to "UCHC" and include your name and address. You must be working with a UCHC/MLS staff in order to deposit funds. Our address is 2727 2nd Ave Suite 313 Detroit, MI 48201. Finance will mail you a receipt. 2. Make a payment online here. 3. Set up ACH automatic payments to schedule deductions from your bank account. Contact Erica Scott to set this up at escott@uchcdetroit.org. For any other issues or questions: Email help@uchcdetroit.org clearly stating your issue or question so we can direct you to the appropriate staff. We will attempt to resolve as many issues as possible by phone or e-mail. We understand that this is a very trying time for everyone as we seek to provide the best possible housing services while protecting public health and safety. Please bear with us and stay safe. Sincerely, Ted Phillips, Executive Director and Marilyn Mullane, Executive Director United Community Housing Coalition Michigan Legal Services Foreclosure Prevention Helping homeowners avoid foreclosure, tax or mortgage related, and working with residents to stay in their homes, become owners and avoid eviction Eviction Prevention & Tenant Support Helping displaced residents find housing, helping tenants organize to defend their rights, and providing legal representation for landlord-tenant cases Education & Advocacy Helping our clients understand their rights, navigate legal requirements, and access available community resources We believe that having a place to live is a basic human right, and are passionate about preserving this right in our communities. © 2019 by United Community Housing Coalition