Evictions in Jackson County have been suspended until Jan. 24. Jackson County Presiding Judge Dale Young signed an order Jan. 11 stopping all eviction summons, hearings, and writs related to evictions.

“This recent social and political unrest has combined with the societal stress associated with the ongoing spread of COVID-19, and has created a current circumstance in which the risks court personnel face in simply carrying out their duties is high,” the order stated.

The order comes after protesters with KC Tenants disrupted more than 322 online evictions in early January during their campaign, “Zero Eviction January.” While the group says the order is a victory, they say it is not sufficient and they will continue their work toward a full eviction moratorium with no end date.

“KC Tenants will not rest until all our neighbors are securely housed,” said a statement from KC Tenants. “Every eviction is an act of violence. Sometimes, that violence takes place in a courtroom or on a WebEx conference line. Sometimes it’s mundane, every day, bureaucratic violence.”