By Anne Levin

During the pandemic, a federal moratorium on evictions for nonpayment of rent was put into effect. Since the moratorium ended on January 1, 2022, figures on evictions — and subsequently, homelessness — have been climbing.

This is especially troubling to the Eviction Prevention Emergency Rental Assistance Team of Housing Initiatives of Princeton (HIP), the locally based nonprofit that assists individuals and families confronting housing insecurity.

“We have seen a real uptick in our rental assistance applications,” said Kathy Taylor, who is part of the team. “I was just looking at some research that DCA [the Department of Community Affairs] put out saying that evictions were up five percent from 2021 to 2022, and I’m sure it’s much higher since the moratorium stopped.”

HIP tries to keep renters from being evicted by assisting them with back rent. So far this year, the organization has helped 75 households, up from 40 in 2022. “It’s going to end up being more than double that, and we still only assist 15 percent of everyone who applies,” said HIP volunteer Jill Wolk.

Potential recipients of help from HIP must be able to pay rent after the one-time assistance they receive. HIP works with partners — including Princeton Human Services, local churches, HomeFront, and Arm in Arm — to get people back on track. The organization serves all of Mercer County. About 66 percent of the assistance goes to clients in Trenton; people in Ewing, Hamilton, and Princeton make up the rest.

“A large majority are single moms with one or more children, and no child support,” said Taylor. “Most are one emergency car payment or hospitalization away from being homeless. If they can’t pay their rent one month, then it can be impossible to get caught up.”

According to the website for the Princeton University Eviction Lab, a team of researchers, students, and website architects who provide nationwide eviction data, “the majority of poor renting families in America spend over half of their income on housing costs, and eviction is transforming their lives. Yet little is known about the prevalence, causes, and consequences of housing insecurity.”

Matthew Desmond, the principal investigator and a sociology professor at the University, is an honorary member of the HIP board and the author of two books on the subject.

In addition to doing rental assistance, HIP has a transitional housing program that places people in eight units, which the organization is trying to increase to 11. Low-income working families and individuals facing homelessness are provided with a safe home, typically for 12 to 24 months. Once an application is received, HIP volunteers respond within 24 hours.

Additional services include working with a case manager, career and money management counseling, and connections to area food pantries and partner organizations.

“The two-year program is not just putting a roof over their heads,” said Taylor. “It’s financial literacy, getting their credit scores up, and getting on affordable housing lists. It’s two years because that’s how long it takes. We provide lots of wraparound services so they can ‘graduate’ at the end. With these two prongs, HIP has really found a way to help a lot of people.”

HIP is careful to screen those seeking help. “We are very careful,” said Wolk. “We want to make sure we are only helping those in need, and not somebody just trying to get money out of us. If they seem sustainable, they get a check. It can take anywhere from two or three days to a couple of weeks.”

The nonprofit survives on donations and private funding. “I don’t know that people in the Princeton community realize some of these circumstances,” said Wolk. “These are our neighbors. It’s happening everywhere and we really need more funding. It’s important for people to think about who is burdened by evictions. Children are the most affected. Most of the families we help have at least one, or maybe two or three kids. Losing your home is a trauma that is difficult to work through.”