A SINGLE mom faces eviction that would leave her and her daughters with no place to call home just days before Christmas.
The mom has struggled to pay her bills ever since she was forced to quit her job due to back pain.
Vicki, who has two teen daughters, lost her unemployment benefits when she had to leave her grocery store gig.
The bills started to pile up until Vicki received a notice from her apartment in Mesa, Arizona, which is about 18 miles east of Phoenix.
“The letter is basically a five-day notice and it’s a legal action to pursue eviction starting Monday,” Vicki told ABC affiliate KNXV-TV.
Vicki is worried about losing custody of her daughters after they recently reunited.
“It’s very difficult knowing that I just got my girls back and knowing that I’m going to be facing an eviction,” the mom said.
“I don’t want that.”
Vicki said she’s called housing assistance programs in the area, but they continue to refer her to other groups.
Vicki expressed her frustration, stating, “They just basically tell us either no or they tell us to call here or there, and then they tell us nope, it’s MesaCAN that does your area.”
Mesa Community Action Network is a group that provides rent and temporary financial assistance to low-income households in Mesa.
“It’s hit or miss,” Vicki said.
It’s unclear why MesaCAN can’t help Vicki pay her past-due bills.
The program hasn’t responded to The U.S. Sun’s request for comment.
State Representative Legislative District 24 Analise Ortiz is pushing to create new legislation to help residents in need of rental assistance.
“There is not enough rental assistance right now for the need that there is,” Ortiz told KNXV-TV.
How common is eviction in the US?
Millions of households receive an eviction notice each year.
The Eviction Lab at Princeton University estimated that per 100 renting households, about 7.8 evictions were filed each year.
The Eviction Lab tracks filings across 10 states and 36 cities.
In a typical year, landlords file about 3.6 million eviction cases.
Source: The Eviction Lab
Ortiz plans to introduce a bill that would allocate state funds to help people with rent during emergencies.
‘SOMETHING HAS TO BE DONE’
She said Arizona has weak laws protecting renters.
Ortiz mentioned her bipartisan collaboration, saying, “I know and I have worked across the aisle with some of my Republican colleagues who tell me that they too are receiving these phone calls from their constituents who cannot pay the rent.”
“Something has to be done.”
Ortiz hasn’t responded to The U.S. Sun’s request for comment.
Vicki said the assistance would be helpful, but the change can’t be made in time before she’s set to be evicted on Monday.
“I need the help. I’m struggling,” the single mom said.
