A group of housing nonprofits and community members met in downtown Greensboro Wednesday to address eviction, homelessness and affordable rent.
According to UNCG's Center for Housing and Community Studies, Greensboro has the highest eviction rate in North Carolina. On average, 26 households face eviction daily in Guilford County.
Monika Gauthier works with the homeless in Burlington and lives in Greensboro. She thinks there's a need for more awareness on tenants' rights, particularly in the neighborhoods experiencing the highest eviction rates.
“Housing is very important," she says. "It's a human right to deserve to have safe, affordable housing. It's not a right that should be taken lightly. It we don't have safe, affordable housing, it leads to all the other crises.”
The Homeless Union of Greensboro hosted the meeting and proposed several goals for the city, including the creation of a legal defense fund for those facing eviction, and a plan to address substandard housing conditions.
Other organizations present included Legal Aid of North Carolina and the Greensboro Housing Coalition.