Stepping Up: Ensuring Our Most Vulnerable Families Get the Help They Need
Rent in the Time of COVID19
When the pandemic closed the restaurant last March where Marla had been working, she hoped it wouldn’t be for too long. Besides, her husband Manuel was still employed, and with four children attending school remotely, at least she could be home with them.
Marla and Manuel had fled El Salvador ten years ago after his brother had been murdered by the local cartel that ruled their neighborhood. They had heard that Manuel was their next target, since he, like his brother, had refused to sell drugs for the cartel.
In May of last year, they filed papers to become legal citizens. Despite the difficulties of living with a pandemic, Marla and Manuel looked forward to the future. But before the citizenship process was complete, Manuel was arrested for driving without a license, and he was deported back to El Salvador early last summer.
The remaining months of 2020 were devastating for Marla and the kids. Not only were she and the children heartbroken they had lost their husband and father, they also lost his income. And now Marla was without a job. Although the restaurant where she had been employed reopened, with four kids at home, she could not go back to work.
Marla is working with an FOA caseworker. Although she is not eligible for unemployment, her caseworker has helped her apply for rental assistance and extra SNAP benefits. And because of the generosity of donors, Marla was provided with warm clothes and Christmas presents for her children. While this has helped her immensely, the back rent she owes is mounting. By the time the housing eviction moratorium is lifted, Marla will be thousands of dollars in debt.
An eviction moratorium doesn’t mean rent forgiveness
The federal eviction moratorium issued by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), which went into effect September 4, 2020, is set to expire on March 31, 2021. While the moratorium has helped Marla’s family and tens of millions of others who are at risk of eviction for nonpayment of rent during the global pandemic, it is not a permanent solution. The moratorium does not forgive back rent; it merely temporarily suspends rental payments.
As the months of pandemic-related disruption drags on, tenants like Marla are now facing a catastrophic financial future. Once the moratorium expires, landlords have the legal right to begin the eviction process and sue the tenant for the entire amount due. An alarming number of tenants who have fallen behind will unlikely be able to meet these enormous payments, and FOA housing advocates fear an eviction tsunami will occur once the moratorium expires.
How FOA is helping
Since March 2020 FOA caseworkers have helped hundreds of Amherst families, many who have never needed our help before, keep their housing and stabilize their families through our Community Housing Support Program and two additional caseworkers, both funded by the COVID19 CARES ACT.
Our caseworkers have assisted families: complete applications for emergency rental help, gather the documents necessary to submit the applications, and follow-up with any additional information needed to ensure a successful application outcome. We have also been assisting parents and individuals apply for unemployment and look for and obtain new jobs.
Housing Resources
The RAFT program helps keep households in stable housing situations when facing eviction, foreclosure, loss of utilities, and other housing emergencies caused by loss of income, increase in expenses, or both. RAFT subsidizes all kinds of households by providing up to $10,000 in aid per household to preserve current housing or relocate to new housing.
In Amherst, tenants who find themselves unable to pay their rent can apply for aid through the Amherst Emergency Rental Assistance Program. Households that are at risk of eviction for nonpayment are eligible for this program. The Housing Trust extended the program until June 2021, and households that have received three months of rental support can apply for an additional three months if they continue to meet the eligibility criteria.
Hope for a Brighter Future
There is no question that when the housing eviction moratorium is lifted, many struggling families will need assistance. But despite the uncertainty, Marla, and families like hers, can rest assured that FOA will always be here to help!
If you or someone you know needs assistance, please email us at familyoutreach@chd.org. Here are links to the RAFT and Amherst Housing Assistance programs:
