February 2, 2026

Dear Mayor Freddie O’Connell, Metro Legal Department, Metro Council Members, Davidson County Sheriff’s Office, and Davidson County General Sessions Court Judges,

Over the past week and a half, our organizations have been on the ground working alongside Nashvillians directly impacted by the weather and subsequent infrastructure failures that resulted in Mayor O’Connell’s declaration of a state of emergency. We are writing to urge immediate action to prevent impending evictions that would further exacerbate the city’s housing crisis.

Prior to this state of emergency, hundreds of Nashvillians were already facing eviction – before the winter storm struck, before hundreds of thousands of NES customers lost power, and before many Nashvillians lost work and income. 1,350 evictions were filed in January 2026 – a 56% increase from January 2025. Between last Monday and Saturday alone, 183 evictions were filed by 109 landlords. In the wake of the winter storm, many more households are now at risk of eviction due to continued income disruption and added expenses. Households that are behind on rental payments due February 1st – which will become legally late if left unpaid by February 5th – will very soon become subject to eviction.

Research shows that eviction filings spike following weather-related emergencies, especially in states like Tennessee, with weak tenant protections. No one should lose their home because they were unable to work, access childcare, or safely live in their residence during a declared emergency. Preventing evictions during this period is a moral responsibility, public health necessity, and upholds the legal right to due process for tenants living in inhabitable or unsafe conditions.

During the initial years of the COVID-19 pandemic, multiple versions of federal eviction moratoriums were in place that halted evictions. Because of multiple state laws, even these federal moratoriums faced legal challenges in Tennessee. We recognize that a local eviction moratorium would face similar legal scrutiny.

Still, there remain feasible pathways to slow and halt evictions to allow tenants the grace necessary to recuperate under these conditions. We respectfully call on local leadership to explore the following strategies during this emergency and its immediate aftermath: 

• Increase the availability and accessibility of low-barrier, timely emergency rental assistance. Mayor O’Connell announced a new Winter Storm Recovery Fund with the Volunteer Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD), The United Way, and Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee. It is essential that these emergency funds be made available immediately for rent relief through partners who can distribute them quickly and efficiently to households in need. Many Nashvillians will accrue late fees and receive eviction notices in the coming days if rental assistance is not provided in a timely manner. 

• Pause eviction dockets in General Sessions Court and grant automatic continuances until the state of emergency and its immediate impacts have ended. Tenants cannot reasonably be expected to appear in court while recovering from prolonged power outages, unsafe housing conditions, and lost income caused by the storm. Knoxville, which experienced severe weather but without the scale of infrastructure failure seen in Nashville, closed their eviction court both last week and again this week. Similarly, Nashville closed civil dockets on January 28th due to safety concerns, however, these safety concerns still remain for many areas of our city.

  We need Nashville Judges to:
        ○ Pause hearings on eviction cases. This should include temporarily suspending all scheduled court dates for eviction proceedings and placing a hold on the scheduling of new eviction hearings until after a set emergency recovery period.
       ○ Grant automatic continuances for tenants with pending rental assistance applications or those who have lost power or remain without utilities.

• Halt the execution of eviction orders by the Sheriff’s Office. The Sheriff’s Office should immediately suspend the execution of eviction orders for the duration of the declared state of emergency and the immediate recovery period. Those who have already received final judgement on their eviction should be provided clear communication of when removals will resume, ensuring they have time to seek alternative accommodations. Emergency shelters and temporary housing resources are already at or near capacity, and forcibly displacing residents now would increase homelessness and place additional strain on an already overburdened system. Other communities, including multiple Kentucky counties, have halted enforcing eviction orders both during COVID and this current winter storm. 

These measures would provide families with critical breathing room to recover, restore utilities, and return to work without the imminent threat of displacement. Eviction prevention during emergencies is a proven, cost-effective way to protect community stability, reduce long-term harm, and uphold tenants’ legal right to due process.

Thank you for your consideration. We look forward to working with you to act swiftly in ensuring that no Nashvillian is evicted as a direct result of this disaster. Thank you for your leadership and attention to this urgent matter. 

Sincerely,

Black Mental Health Village

CourtWatch615

The Equity Alliance

Nashville People’s Budget Coalition

Open Table Nashville

The ReMIX Way

Southeast Center for Cooperative Development

Stand Up Nashville

Tennessee Immigrant & Refugee Rights Coalition

Tennessee Renters United