Housing activists call on Greensboro City Council to fund rental assistance program

Guilford County housing activists are calling on the Greensboro City Council to fund a rental assistance program as part of its budget.

Last month, organizers from the Keep Gate City Housed campaign requested that more than $400,000 be used to expand the Tenant Education Advocacy Mediation program, which connects people facing housing issues with legal aid.

The movement aims to prevent evictions and homelessness in the area. Organizers are also requesting an additional $1.5 million for rental assistance.

Resident Kenneth Cole is among those calling for the increased funds. At Tuesday's meeting, he told the city council his family faced evictions when he was young.

"If it hadn't been for my family members, people of my faith community who decided to hold us down with space, community and resources that we needed in order to survive, who knows where we'd be," he said.

Cole said rental assistance could have helped his family.

According to the North Carolina Housing Coalition, around 16,000 people faced an eviction filing in Guilford County last year.

City council didn't take action on the request at the meeting, but is scheduled to vote on the final budget on June 18.