Tenant advocates raise concerns over violation of eviction moratorium

Families statewide continue to be under threat of losing their homes amid the COVID-19 pandemic despite the governor’s moratorium on evictions.

On Tuesday, a group of advocates for Hawaiʻi tenants held a press conference over Zoom to open the dialogue regarding such actions. Threatening or enforcing evictions right now is illegal. Their big message to landlords was “don’t do it.”

“There are many residents who can’t pay rent right now—it’s a hardship on landlords to be sure,” said Tom Helper, Director of Litigation for Lawyers for Equal Justice.

Helper said landlords should know it’s illegal to threaten, evict or lock people out of the properties they’re renting.