Growing Number Of North Texans Feeling Effects Of COVID-19 Related Evictions
NORTH TEXAS (CBSDFW.COM) - Last month Texas ended the halt on COVID-19 related evictions and as a result, a growing number of people are starting to see the effects of this.
To say this has been a hard year for the Danforth family is an understatement.
"It's happening so fast - where we're helpless," his wife said. "I have four young kids I'm trying to do the best I can."
In June, he tested positive for COVID-19 and missed a month of work. Then he was laid off. As they struggle to put food on the table, they're also facing eviction from their Aubrey home.
"I actually did a Google search and reached out to some nonprofits in the area," he said.
He found Farwah Raza - an attorney with Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas - who specializes in tenant's rights. She says if you find yourself in this situation - get any terms or agreements in writing. If you are making payments, get documentation. Make sure to seek free legal help to explore what specific options you have.
"There's a lot of information out there but there's also a lot of misinformation out there so you want to be careful of that," she said.
After getting some guidance, Chris filed an eviction appeal.
"Even though we were able to file an appeal, they still wanted us to come up with another $1,700 within five days," he said. "So we're kind of now at the mercy of my landlord essentially giving us a couple more weeks to pack our stuff and move"
The Danforths are now leaning on their faith and say in the short term they'll most likely move in with family while they try to get back on their feet.