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Santa Fe Holds Legal Clinic Ahead Of Eviction Moratorium Ending

People gather at the Genovava Chavez Community Center on Saturday in Santa Fe for the legal aid clinic.
Kevin Meerschaert
/
KSFR-FM
People gather at the Genovava Chavez Community Center on Saturday in Santa Fe for the legal aid clinic.

Local attorneys and housing advocates were on hand Saturday to help Santa Fe residents facing eviction.

The eviction prevention clinic at the Genoveva Chavez Community Center was promoted by City Attorney Erin McSherry and local organizations like Chainbreaker Collective.

Local residents were able to apply for rental and utility assistance and to get free legal advice from local housing attorneys.

Luke Pierpont with Egolf, Ferlic, Martinez and Harwood says all housing leases in New Mexico are governed by the Uniform Owner Resident Relations Act.

“The act provides certain rights to tenants. Things like notification, reasons that leases can be terminated, that sort of thing,” he said, “But generally people need to know that there is a law that governs the relationship between landlords and tenants in the State of New Mexico.”

The eviction moratorium was supposed to end March 1st, but has now been pushed back to later in the month but no firm date has been set.                  

Several organizations have programs to help tenants in need. According to Chainbreaker Collective about one in three tenants in Santa Fe could face eviction once the moratorium is lifted.