PORTLAND, Maine (AP) Eviction filings have decreased since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, but pressure is building as landlords claim that their tenants are falling further behind on payments, according to the Maine Affordable Housing Coalition.

The coalition, which compiled information from more than 2,000 eviction filings, said Monday that renters and landlords are still waiting for the federal government to complete rules for rent relief approved by Congress in late December.

“No one should lose their home in the middle of a public health emergency,” said Greg Payne, Director of the Maine Affordable Housing Coalition. “The efficient deployment of federal rent relief dollars must happen immediately, to protect both vulnerable renters and the landlords who have their own bills to pay.”

The coalition will be working with state lawmakers to pass legislation that would prevent many evictions through changes to the eviction process and better legal representation for renters in eviction courts.