Circuit Judge Carol Pentuic says there've been 16 evictions in the county since January 10th, and more are likely.
"There are no more safety nets for people. You will go through the mediation and hopefully that will allow people to get the benefits, but if people think there is going to be some magical delay, or additional moratorium, that is not happening."
She estimates each week there are about 40 new eviction cases in Rock Island County, compared to ten before the pandemic. And as many as ten cases per week are dismissed through mediation.
Project Now Executive Director Dwight Ford says planning for the diversion program began more than a year ago. 1.3 million dollars are available to help tenants and landlords.
"The individuals that make up this team bring everything they have, they bring their institutional weight behind them, to try to find a way to mitigate these challenges, to try to bring solutions to the things that are bearing on the shoulders of so many."
Partners in the program include Project Now, the Salvation Army, Prairie States Legal Services, the 14th Judicial Circuit, and the Rock Island County Bar Association.