ASHEVILLE, N.C.—Workers demonstrated outside the Buncombe County Courthouse here after news emerged that eviction court was reopening amidst the housing crisis currently affecting the Western North Carolina region.
This comes after Hurricane Helene devastated the area in and around Asheville and Buncombe counties, whose residents have been struggling for affordable housing for several years now even before the massive destruction wrought by the storm.
Asheville Food and Beverage United, several musicians, and workers trying to survive the difficult times came together in solidarity with one another. With the looming threat of eviction towering over everyone’s heads, the demonstrators sang out slogans like “Housing is a right! Not a luxury!”
They told their leaders that it is inhuman to allow landlords to evict people when work and shelter are so scarce.
Jen Hampton, a board member of Just Economics and member of the steering committee of AFBU, told People’s World: “There has not been an eviction moratorium in place yet. We’re calling for a 90-day moratorium in Western North Carolina for those evictions and foreclosures. We need people to stay in their homes.
“And the goal of this demonstration today is to show our governor and our chief justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court that they have community support to do this. That people need to stay in their homes because thousands of people are without jobs right now, through no fault of their own.
Didn’t have a choice
“We didn’t have a choice about whether we endure a natural disaster, but we do have a choice about whether or not we create an economic disaster that will take us years if not decades to recover from.”
The chanting continued despite the cold temperature, made worse only by the unforgiving wind blowing against the bodies of everybody present. The demonstrators stood resoundingly against nature’s discouragement and continued to call for the end of all evictions, to say that people have a right to shelter, and to use common sense in times of crisis such as the one Western North Carolina finds itself in at this time.
With Hurricane Helene not only severely damaging infrastructure to the city, destroying entire homes, and making it impossible for workers to continue to earn a wage, the people of Asheville demand to be treated as human beings. The community response in Buncombe County, as many demonstrators stated, has been nothing short of a miracle.
The outpouring of support from those around them has given workers hope that despite the decision to reopen eviction court, the community can pressure the state of North Carolina to once again close them for the time being.
Whitley English, a demonstrator and member of Just Economics, said “I’m a community health worker in violence prevention and I’m a native of Asheville. But I live in public housing. Because of the hurricane, people have lost their jobs, lost their money, lost their subsidies. We need 90 or more days to help everyone to be able to live!”
It is clear that the hurricane and its devastation are at the forefront of everyone’s minds when discussing the opening of eviction court. Many attending the demonstration have been left without work, and the unhoused of Asheville shout words of encouragement as they pass by.
Despite a lack of uniformed officers on the scene, a few plainclothes officers were spotted taking photographs of the demonstrators. The police maintained a healthy distance from the protestors as the chanting grew louder. Several cars honked in solidarity and people walking by joined in to show support.
When People’s World asked her how the evictions were affecting people, Vicky Meath said, “Here in Western North Carolina, we’ve been devastated by the impact of Hurricane Helene. We are still nearly three weeks into this, you still have people missing, still have people without water, still have tons of people who have lost everything; their homes, their jobs, their livelihoods!
“Eviction court opens this week, and we think there is something inhumane about evicting people during a crisis of this magnitude. We are calling for an eviction moratorium and a mortgage moratorium. We need rent relief, not eviction! We’re asking the Housing Authority of the City of Asheville to stop collecting rent from public housing residents. And to have a heart and think about what all of our people have gone through here!”
The demonstration had an almost jovial air to it, not allowing the cold or the prying eyes of police to dampen their spirits. A trumpet blared as the musical band rang out, a voice for the workers to be heard beyond the few city blocks around them.
People there said they will continue their protests, if necessary, throughout the cold days to come.
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