CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) — There was a moratorium on some evictions in Cook County during the depths of the pandemic, but a report from the Cook County Sheriff’s Office has shown that evictions are on the rise.
The report said the number of evictions ordered by the courts in 2023 — neary 12,000 — approached the number seen before COVID. Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart, though, said a specialized sheriff’s social service unit has continued to help vulnerable tenants across the country transition to safe housing.
“We go out weeks ahead of time, talk to the people in the house, explain to them what their rights are but also explain to them that, in most cases … there’s an inevitably with this,” he said. “What can we do to help you get housing? What can we do to help your children?”
Dart said the majority of individuals served by the social service unit are older residents who are by themselves.
“We’re trying to figure out senior housing, things like that,” he said.
In 2020, the first year of COVID, Cook County evictions dropped to about 3,000 — about 10,000 less than the year previous. Then they dipped even further in 2021 before moving back up.
“We’re seeing a lot more people who are needing our help and our services than [what] we had in the past, so that’s been stretching us a little bit,” said Dart. “Trying to find them housing when they’re being evicted [is] a challenge.”
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