My parents have owned a trailer park + 2 apartments in the same property as their home since the 70s. In all that time, they've had to evict 3 tenants. People would just come to them, say they were having trouble and they'd work out a deal. If someone lost their job, my dad would ask everyone in town if they were hiring and if the tenant would be a good fit, ect. When they got a new job, they'd just pay a little extra until the backrent was repaid. No late charges or fees. Currently they have 1 tenant who mows in lieu of rent. In the fall, he handles the leaves and in the winter, he does the snow shoveling. He also keeps the gutters cleared and trims branches and little things. He's been there since the 90s. Another tenant drives my dad to the post office every day because he's losing vision due to macular degeneration. She's been there about 15 years and it was the only affordable place she could find that would let her keep her big dog (that's my dad's buddy now). The tenants look out for my dad (my mom passed last year) because he's looked out for them for decades. A lot of the problem today is that the landlords do not live in the same community as their tenants. Their tenants aren't their neighbors, they're just their revenue.
I'm so glad your parents have/had the right idea. To me, it's insane people pay 600 for a property payment, with taxes and insurance etc and then they charge 1,500 or more for rent. It makes no sense. Just because some website like Zillow or whatever says it doesnt make it worth it. Then if they get good renters for a year, they keep raising rent . Its crazy
I feel so bad for those who have legitimate reasons for falling behind on rent. Especially, when children are involved. The saying is true, "If you have a roof over your head and food on the table, you are truly blessed."
@@Mary20002 No it is not a nasty attitude to have. It is legitimate because there are people in this world who do not pay their bills. That is their way of life. The woman in NJ was a perfect exacmple. She kept saying she paid the rent but never backed it up with proof. So you should not call people out when you are too naive to know the truth about the world.
This documentary was difficult to watch because I have personally experienced eviction. Being evicted is a degrading, humiliating, and traumatic experience and you are at a loss of knowing what to do. I had to live in a homeless shelter until I eventually found permanent housing. I had no family to stay with like Alexys Hatcher did. She should be thankful she had a grandmother to stay with. This was 12 years ago. Today, I live in a nice home in a middle-class neighborhood and I work my ass off to make sure I never experience homelessness again. I hope and pray all of the people featured in this documentary were able to get their lives together and find new homes for themselves. To all the people in the comments section making insensitive comments about the people featured in this documentary, Becoming homeless can happen to you too. I like the way this documentary also explored the issue of eviction from the landlord's perspective instead of being biased in favor of the tenants. Excellent Frontline documentary! 👍
Okay and you knew eviction was coming. This documentary makes it appear as if the people were just suddenly aware they were going to be evicted. They had had months of issues… This is designed to hit your heart strings and ignore reality
The very first story starts with “I got 24 hours notice I was being evicted”. NO she didn’t… She knew for months she wasn’t paying her rent and that this day was going to eventually come upon her.
If you live beyond your means but can afford a fancy hairdid and plastic junk for the kids, then its a personal problem. I am only 1:45 into the video and already have an idea what the real problem is.
Please give your child up for adoption. Your life isn't important, but you're ruining her life with your inability to provide basic housing. I suppose the story is the same with the father. There are plenty of foster homes and actual two parent households that would love to raise your daughter and give her the future that she deserves. As a society we need to stop accepting selfish behavior like yours. You want a child without having first done the work of preparing to take care of that child. Unacceptable.
@@jhagen4850 first of all. Homeless doesn't mean we stayed on the streets. So miss me with the judgement. Second of all, not everyone is blessed enough to be able to plan for having a child. Life happens. Get off your high horse. How dare you say someone's life isn't important 😡
@@freespirited682 For many years in society we bought your argument: "not everyone is blessed enough to be able to plan for having a child." OK. But did you have a plan to have a career? Did you have a plan for getting a job? Did you have a plan to save money? Did you have a plan to actually get married? Today we realize that in all of these cases the answer is a resounding "no." So now you're asking us, the taxpayer ( and yes, my wife and I probably pay more than you make in a year in state and federal taxes) for a handout. I'm sorry, but the answer is NO. NO MORE HANDOUTS. This is ridiculous. YOU DON'T WANT TO BE JUDGED? I too am tired of paying nearly half of our income on federal, state and local taxes and still having problem children (almost all single parent families) in our childrens' schools so my kids can't learn. You are a burden on society and I'm sick of it. Letting you keep your child after you've experienced homelessness is the final straw, because you're obviously passing down generational poverty to your child. Let me guess, your child doesn't have any money saved up for continued learning so that'll probably fall on taxpayers, too. It's enough! We're all getting sick of it! It's time we change the law so your child can be put in a loving, supportive home, not stay with you and end up on the street selling drugs and adding to our crime problems. Enough is enough. Taxpayers like me are absolutely sick of paying for people like you, and change is coming. And it's going to come fast.
Getting evicted is one of the most humiliating and difficult experiences I’ve ever been through. My family and I were evicted from our forever home in 2011. I was still in high school and my dad never told us he was behind on the mortgage. I remember that day. I woke up to a sheriff knocking on my bedroom door telling me to get out. Seeing all our stuff outside in the front yard in front of our neighbors was difficult to go through.
@@leahcotton5315 Thank you! That experience was definitely very difficult to go through at that moment in time, but now we are okay. With everything that has happened recently we’re just happy to be alive & well and together as a family. -Best regards.
This makes me appreciate my parents even more. We always lived in the same home they bought for $23k in the 60s. I never knew how much they sacrificed and struggled until I got about 30 and was told how much hardship they went thru to keep our home…which today is worth nearly half a million.
I am happy for your parents having a home but this just reminds me of how much the dollar has fallen as a currency and all the government involvement and spending doesn't help things.
During the pandemic when the moratorium was in place in NYS I was doing great paying rent. I ended up getting sick in the winter, not being able to work, and ultimately got behind in rent. Last month I had applied for emergency rental assistance. I still had to go to court though. The lawyer for the property manager and I sat down and talked for about 15 minutes. I explained that I’m back working again and that emergency rental assistance is willing to cover 6 months. We were able to work out a deal in order for me to stay at my place. I’ve simply had to work my butt off to cover the rest. I have one more month to take care of and then I’ll be caught up. I’m just glad the landlord and lawyer were willing to work with me.
Communication is always key! A closed mouth doesn’t get fed. Something similar happened to me. It’s expensive for landlords to file eviction, if they can avoid it (within reason) they will.
But another aspect to your story is that not only were the landlord and lawyer receptive to working on a solution with you, but that YOU were willing to work! You worked hard to pay on any monies that were in arrears while simultaneously paying your current rent. There have been a lot of folks that have used the pandemic to quit their jobs and use the moratorium period as a vacation.
@@hayleywise7403 not everyone was covered under the moratorium, thousands of working families were evicted during lockdown. people don't quite understand it isn't black & white, not every landlord is a victim & not every tenant was a scammer, and not everyone who was evicted was covered under anything nor did everyone that was evicted had any issues with not paying. It's not that easy, it's much more complicated than people think. There's laws that need to be started across the board nationwide.
ESPECIALLY in NJ which is particularly tenant friendly. I had to also use the ejectment approach with a destructive meth head tenant who initially agreed in writing to a cash for keys deal. Then he sued to reinstate his tenancy. He ultimately lost, but it cost us $10k in legal fees.
My husband and I owned a home that we rented out. We had trouble with our last tenant. She stopped paying and Illinois is for the renter, not the owner. It sucked. She was awful woman and I’m so glad she’s gone and we have since sold that home!
I am 43 and had to move back into my parents house. So what? Atleast I have a fall back position and stepping stone to start anew. And I am thankful for that.
I am 61 years old, I have been on my own since the age of 17, I worked all my life and paid my bills then Covid happened, I am now homeless and still suffering from what Covid did to my life financially and physically. There is no real help for me, waiting lists on everything, every day I pray I feel well again so I can work and earn a living.
@@jasonblack6142 we get some food stamps but we have no means to keep or cook food we eat a lot of peanut butter and canned fruit/veggies. Every day I tell myself that things will get better.
never understood why living with parents was so frowned upon when the current state of this is economy makes it impossible for young people to live on their own, much less buy a home.
@@davidroyl2241 America had an unsustainable amount of prosperity from 1960 to 2005 that made it easy for individuals to own their own home or rent an apartment when that has not been the case for the majority of the world ever
Years of living a dangerous life has taught me that a tough man knows when and how to get out of a situation, but a smart man never gets himself into one.
I agree but sometimes circumstances are beyond your control. When their is a death in the family, medical bills, job loss etc. Even though everyone should be saving for that surprise situation that could be right around the corner, with the wages so behind for years and land lords wanting more and more for rent, it gets hard for families these days.
@@jocelynejean9911Good advice, but all of what you said aren't taught in school. And they won't learn until they are facing these life changing issues and by then it is too late.
Supply chain disruption caused prices of many things not made in America to increase. Work force was taking time off due to covid thus increasing demand on those services. Demand for homes and rental units increased massively before this and during this time period, giving pricing power to landlords and home sellers. An unbelievable amount of money was artificially pumped into the market from the government which increased prices for almost everything causing 40 year high inflation. Greed is almost objectively not the largest problem in this instance.
I was blessed. I worked two jobs and paid my rent throughout the pandemic, when it was time for an increase it only went up by $50. I'm a great tenant and they rewarded me.
During the pandemic I had 4 tenants not able to pay. I patiently waited and pursued the programs that paid the rent plus late fees for the tenants and it ultimately worked out in the end. It was hard on me for awhile but I'm glad it all worked out.
@@checkerslane if you are a landlord, you are expected to fix things like ac, water heaters and plumbing.nneach of thos items have pricetags that could go as high as $10,000.00. this means a landlord better have enough sense to have reserves. There's no excuse any tenant will accept if he's living in a home that's not repaired in a timely manner. Having said that....a landlord could easily route the funds for emergency use like I did. It's not a luxury....it's a must. In my state the sheriff can be summoned out to MAKE the owner repair things.
Glad it worked out for you. Every state had different programs for how to actually qualify and disperse the funds. For many it wasn’t so easy as to be patient and pursue. A lot of tenants simply ghosted you or refused to sign the paperwork despite the pleas, and as the landlord you could do nothing except bleed money and be vilified. There sure wasn’t a tax moratorium to the states or cities preventing evictions. You’re 100% correct that cash reserves are a must.
@@johngatsby1473 Again every Landlord doesnt have the luxuries you have. Many people have a house and barely getting by. Your thought process is the root of what went wrong during the pandemic...this thinking that Landlords should have money and they should be able to get by with a tenant not paying them rent for a few months
@@checkerslane how is my thought process wrong? I am expected, by law, to make sure the house is habitable which means you Betta have reserve money, no excuses so redirect that reserve money and help your tenants. Some people shouldn't even try to be in the game if they can't afford it. That's called poor planning and that's the real problem....not my way of thinking
Man, I feel for these people. My pops passed away last year and I got covid at his funeral. I was out of work for a month & a half. Fortunately I had savings, paid time off and stocks I could sell. Plus family & friends who were getting my medication and bringing me food. I wouldn’t have made it otherwise.
Exactly! Thank god my grandparents home was not sold because I would not have a safety net to fall into when things get tough unexpectedly . We are truly lucky 🍀 and blessed
whew i remember being here .. went from amazing job to losing my job and being too prideful to go to the food stamp office and treated like a low class i was so humiliated im like it wasnt my fault i was laid off ! i was denied so made a bad situation , no food , rent fell behind , went to my church they wouldn’t help .. but God is still amazing i got unemployment but it was barely enough i forced myself to continue to pay my car note to at least have reliable transportation to look for a new job , i held on to 40/50 dollars to buy food from the 1.00 store , i didnt give up asking other churches to help i stood in line 3am to request help i finally got help from 2 churches who chipped in together to pay my rent for 2 month within that 2 months i got a new job making double what i was making , today ive been able to pay off all my debts , just made my final car note payment , live in a beautiful home , have money in my savings again and food ! I say all of that to say , hard times dont last forever , it may not feel like it but you will make it out this situation! Im praying for everyone out there going thru a hard time you will get thru this
Your point is hard work. Even though you got help, it was temporary. You did what I would like to see others do. Stop waiting on a handout, be a grown up and do better. Congratulations to you. Hopefully all these comments will either inspire others to do better or the comments will anger those who play victim throughout life.
I was living in the car with my 8 yr old son. I had a full time job but the landlord didn't have the permits to rent to tenants so the city gave us only 8 hours notice. I put all my sons things in the car and only what I needed for me. I watched a group of men throwing my clothes in the trash. Today I'm 65 and my son is 32 and he's doing well. Life is hard but you struggle through it as best you can. Losing stuff can happen in a fire,tornado or becoming homeless. I'm a minimalist for that reason. I feel blessed in my life though having survived Stage 3 breast cancer. ❤️
It’s hard to be a shrewd heartless landlord if you’ve previously been a financially struggling renter. I remember how hard life was for my wife and I 25 years ago. Barely scraping by, hoping to god the car didn’t break down or we didn’t have to pay a doctor bill. Did that for almost 10 years, then my wife and I matured and started getting promoted at work. Now we’re making 4 times our previous income and when my renters are late I find a way to make it work. As long as they’re honest and making a true effort, we can usually work out a deal. I’m willing to do everything I can to keep them housed. But I do need to see them put forth effort.
Lots of landlords are assholes but many are just hard working people trying to make a living and need the rent to live. My brother has two small apartment buildings with 9 tenants and he takes them to work with him when they cant pay rent.
@@Katana_00 I just think it is depressing and scares us and I think that if we focus our attention too much on something then we can manifest it in our lives. Just fear, darling.
This is very sad to watch! I was evicted once 19 years ago and it was traumatizing. I got my finances in order, watched Dave Ramsey a lot, and thank God never faced that again. Praying for those who are facing this now 🙏🏻
In the 70's a modest house cost $30,000 on an acre of land. Only one parent needed to work to support their family. Generally most jobs provided adequate income for these basics. Housing, transportation, healthcare were accessible. You didn't have to be " rich" to have a decent life. Today the costs of everything has skyrocketed. Many families require over 2 full time jobs to survive. Just survive, month to month. Many go into debt as well. These are not lazy people. 4 decades of " trickle down" economics has sent this country onto a bad trajectory. Wealth is not " trickling down". It is hoarded.
I've been through this, wife and child... and it is the most heart wrenching, cold, humiliating, hopeless experiences I've ever had to endure. I hope these people can get back on their feet.
@@Matthew2077 millions of people had their children before things got bad, that's just common sense to realize that not everyone is like your friends who breed like rabbits. I suggest finding new friends
As hard as this is to watch, this needs to be said, some of these landlords are small time landlords that own 1 to say 3 rentals and when their tenants stop paying then the next thing that happens is the landlord starts suffering. Bills need to be paid on both sides of the aisle.
Do these tenants offer to do maintenance, yard work, shovel snow, rake leaves, anything to help the landlord? Or do they wait for circumstances roll over them?
@@carylhalfwassen8555 My old landlord had a tenant who admittedly was bad at money and was wishy-washy with paying for a few months. The landlord went to the house for something unrelated (I think tools or something that were stored at the property) and showed up to find out the family had been letting the house fall apart without either telling the landlord or offering to fix it. The tenant was supposedly a handyman, but let things like a fallen gutter linger that could easily turn into a big water issue. They'd been his tenants for years, which was why he let them off with many months of payment issues, but after seeing the house like that, he decided to stand his ground more with the tenant.
I was a drug addict. Got evicted I was nice about it. Got treatment after living in storage. Put all my stuff in storage first obviously. Been clean 3 months. New job. New apartment. Eviction sucks. I’ll never do it again.
My mom was on drugs growing up. We lost our home twice. And lost everything we had in storage like 3 times. She taught me not to get to attached to things. Unfortunatley I took it overboard and have trouble not getting attached to people as well. 😕
My mom was an alcoholic and could not keep a job. She forced me to answer the phone from bill collectors and the apartment managers and lie about where my mom was and when she was going to pay. I was only 6 yrs old when this started and I had to do till I left home at 14. Other bad things were going on in my home too. To this day I resent the fact that she forced me to lie, to cover up her being an alki. Never got an apology for this and other mis treatment. Seeing that yellow 'pay or quit' notice taped to the door was terrifying as a young child for sure.
I can honestly say that i worked the whole time via fast food and my landlord is a good dude he let me split rent due to this issue and i am thankful that he has not raised rent on me and still works with me to make sure that rent is paid and we as tenants have food
My heart just goes out to that single mom striving to do good, to do b right and be faced with homelessness on top of everything else she's had to face. yet she hides all that pain, panic, fear of wth do I do she hid all of those emotions to protect her daughter and keep as much normalcy as possible!!! God loves you and so do I! Thank you to the red cross woman that helped.
Where’s the dad of that child he ghosted and all His family… she rather pay rent than Live with her grandmother because she don’t like the rules there smh
Something is wrong with that woman from Newark. She had no lease, did she sublet? Was she paying rent:? To who:? If you get scammed, it's on you to know you are not paying the real landlord. Plus don't pretend to sleep have a film crew there and then pretend you didn't know the eviction cops were coming. Plus if you have an important court zoom meeting don't go to the market.
I am 81 years old and have always been a renter, was a single Parent with 3 Children when I was 27 years old. Thank you to Landlords who rented to me and also trusted me. We had an excellent relationship. I am alone now living in a subsidized complex, my Children all married and doing fine. It takes wise budgeting to survive, but not impossible and Life is beautiful, remembering all the material wealth does not make for a Happy Life!
People don't realize they are one accident away from being homeless. This happened to my family. We always paid our bills on time, worked hard every day, but then there was an accident. Our savings went so quickly. We lost our home, was homeless, and struggled for years. But we fought our way back and we are now living in our dream home that we just purchased! You can come back from anything with a little hard work!
I came across a homeless encampment one time. It was mostly cars and motorhomes. These were all people that were once middle class that got hit hard by the last financial crisis. So yeah.
You went full circle. Another sickness, tragedy, or accident could have you repeat the very painful journey you did before. Buying and home is not the same as owning a home. Americans have been convinced to buy in to a nightmare but it is packaged as a dream.
I have a degree of sympathy for small landlords too. I rented a house from a wonderful man for years. It was his family home. Rent was incredibly fair - but it was a high property tax area on 1 1/2 A of land. It was an older home with needed repairs. He was wonderful to my daughters and me at a very hard time - he ultimately sold it to me at WAY below what his kids wanted for it. But the thought of ever missing a months rent and him going into his own pocket…….I can’t imagine.
Thank you so much for bringing our attention to small, middle-class, non-corporate landlords. Some of us seem to ignore the fact that small landlords carry our own mortgages, taxes, and HOA fees, etc. we must pay monthly, and that we got no government protection during the pandemic. As an individual landlord, I was providing free housing to my tenant (who lived with her baby) OUT OF MY OWN POCKET for over a year. The tenant eventually moved out w/o paying the back rent or telling me, and I don’t even know where she is. Suing her doesn’t seem “right” to me, somehow, given that my tenant was a Black single mother…
Very good point, and well taken. Clearly, landlords have financial and fiscal responsibilities to fulfill. But, in some cases (as was the case during Covid - an admittedly bad example), the government could step in and give the landlords some relieve or reprieve so that families - human beings - are not turned out into the street. I mean, we live in one of the wealthiest nations on the entire planet; with over 192 sovereign nations and 7+ billion people, America is far and away one of the wealthiest. Some countries have far less capital, and the homeless rates are far lower than ours (kind of like our prison system - 2.3 million people behind bars is the highest on the planet.) Something is wrong here. No?
I think it would of been nicer if all the bureaucratic distribution of resources during Covid was replaced with stimulus checks to everyone each month. Think of all the Chaos that would of prevented. This turned into such a big money grab per usual during every crisis
During the pandemic I was considered a essential worker as were my coworkers. Several of my neighbors were laid off or terminated. They received enhanced unemployment and when the CDC moratorium was announced they immediately stopped paying rent. Yet they had new appliances big screen televisions delivered to their home. They spent spent spent but none of their money went towards rent. They were surprised when the moratorium was lifted and they got eviction notices even though they were thousands of dollars in rent arrears. Even know a couple of my neighbors that their mortgage lender offered reduced or deferred mortgage payments that they took advantage of and when that ran out they suddenly found out they had $10 or $15,000 mortgage payments to catch up. I paid my mortgage monthly all through the pandemic and accumulated no debt and not in danger of losing my home.
This shows how bad critical thinking skills are in America. They didn't understand that a moratorium on evictions is not a moratorium on rent. It's adding up monthly.
The worst too is that landlords also took advantage of paying tenants by offsetting the lack of payment by other households and putting that burden on paying tenats by heavily increasing their rent more than others. This happened to me. I barely could pay rent, but I did. I moved my funds around to adjust for it so that (rather than food)... That money went to rent. .....then suddenly the next year when the moratorium was over they hit me with an increase that was too much over the line. They flirt with trying to reach that line of what you can pay versus what you get paid. It's like strangulation. ....meanwhile the people in the complex (5 other residences out of 6 in the building) do not pay, some are not citizens, some pretend to be stupid and attempt to milk the system. .....and I am the one that has to pay for it. I can't. I barely could already. I had to adjust spending on barely enough food or so forth to cut money from that cost to put towards rent. You can't take something from nothing. The other residences are...... /those/ types with too many kids, poor family ethos (or none), trying to validate their existence and misery through being a parasite on others.... Don't speak, or feign to know, English..... What is hard is that I am partially their same ethnicity and it hurts. I grew up in the same situation as their kids so I know what is going on. It sickens me. I am single and alone because I refuse to be anything like those people blindly wandering through life; yet my money, taxes, insurance I have to pay, doesn't even go to (or help me)..... It goes to them. My lack of food growing up, till now, is a direct result of them. That is why it is a HUGE knife in my heart that I barely already eat or feel guilty if I get a little good food to stay healthy - but then I have to cut my food in half for them. I was ALREADY not spending enough on food in the first place! Other expenses were cut too but not all things can be cut /as much/. My job is also very specialized... But over time companies refuse to keep up with pay increase versus cost of living. I watched the pay over the years go from 60k, to 50k, to 30k. When the apartment company reassessed their new assessment of poverty and low-income bracket guidelines it is now so bad in this country that the median where I am quoted that my income bracket is now between the 30% and 80% low-income household average. .......and all we got for a "raise" over time was pocket change of $0.25-$0.50 over the years. The companies wonder why everyone with experience is leaving, why those they hire can't do the work, or they can't retain any moral of those that stay. Many whom have left flat up retired. As I said, not many places have our career type. Some left thinking they can take the skills elsewhere but are stuck in the revolving door of hiring and companies lying/failing. It's purely a greed issue. I stay because I can't risk NOT having a job and being on the streets if I can't suddenly pay rent. I feel that's the end game of what the government and control freaks 50+ years in age want from all of us in the end. It's sheer greed. They want to keep us strangulated over that line....
This is a conversation no one wants to have. Unless you have some form of disability, I have a very hard time empathizing with people who have gotten evicted during the pandemic. Especially when I know for a fact I have also had previous neighbors take advantage of not having to pay their rent and being surprised that they were in arrears.
My heart just broke for the woman with the little 5 year old girl when she said, "...to her, wherever mommy is, is home." 😪. Thank goodness that the mom was the kind of person who, despite the stresses and housing setbacks, knew how to keep her ducks in a row and stay organized with receipts and was also fortunate enough to come under the radar of the Salvation Army. It was really good to see her moving into a new apartment. The lady who had the zoom meeting appeared to be a squatter. Rule #1 as a legal renter is you hang on to your lease paperwork, past and present, as well as your lease payment receipts. She was given multiple opportunities to produce that paperwork and never did. My heart goes out to people having housing challenges. Life can be difficult, for sure.
That right there.... is a great and AMAZING Mom.... Thats why the beauty is on the inside and not the makeup you see on IG... Thats a real Woman/Mom 💪🥲
My mom passed away earlier this year and she left me and my brother the family house. I'm grateful to have had the time to fix it up and move back into it. It's almost paid off with cheap mortgage. The area in Newark, NJ is relatively safe but it's where I grew up.
newark was sh&t when I was growing up someone legit blew a car in front of our house, no thanks. Also there was a drug raid that almost went south when I was in the road they legit stopped this person in the middle of the road and there was a gun. No thanks. I rather live in another state, glad to be in the woods now.
@@treeleigh634 Oh no I agree, I grew up in Newark and I wish her house was somewhere else. But it's almost paid off and my and brother are keeping it for now. It's not ideal but it's better than being homeless. LionsGate the film company is slated to build 4 studio buildings for more revenue in the city by Q4 of 2024. With the Many Saints of Newark, Joker, and the new Batman movie doing so well they like the area to film. So the area will definitely gentrify. Even it's it's just by 10% to 15% that's great because the crime will decrease by 30%. The summer is always a problem time but Newark is a lot safer then it used to be. I remember when it was like the wild wild west back in the early 2000's.
I remember as a kid finding that yellow paper (at the time) stuck to the door and fear I would feel. It took years for me not to feel anxiety walking to my door without fear that there would be an eviction notice on it. Even when it was no longer a threat, I would still feel that fear. I feel for people going through this especially the kids because they really have no control in this situation. Its hard out here and I wish you all well.
No child should ever endure that, and I am sorry for your experience. I feel so bad for those people that are truly falling behind/being evicted due to the pandemic. However, there are several people that I've seen that have no idea how to manage money. I saw several people getting evicted, but had boxes and boxes of Jordan's costing over $200 each, one guy simply wanted to get his Xbox, flat screen TV, games, Jordan's and weed out the house. Not to mention some of the houses are trashed, as a landlord, how were you not inspecting your properties?! It sadden me to see people living in utter filth, with 2-3 kids running around then they have a bunch of damn pit bull dogs! There are people that truly game the system, my former neighbor for example hid behind the eviction laws, actually had baby #3 during the pandemic, got a boat load of stimulus money, bought a car, kept her nails and hair done, ate out everyday and bragged about her new designer handbags! She would openly boast to anyone about using her kids to get section8 saying, "they will put us up in a hotel before they just let us be out on the street!" I wanted to slap her! She worked are a temp somewhere for a few weeks! These laws are helping the professional moochers more than the people that actually worked. As for the landlords, they are suffering as well, you rent your house to gain income, not donations. So at this point all I can think to do is to pray for these people. Perhaps instead of just giving out stimulus money they should've set it up differently, many people didn't qualify for stimulus money, so not everyone got stimulus money and we still had bills to pay. I don't know anyone that likes paying bills; I suppose the blessing in that would be to be thankful you are able to just pay the bill. Dear Lawd help us all!
While it may have been a hard lesson at the time it is a good lesson to learn about the consequences of failing to take care of business that so many parents are failing to teach their children.
@@jasmineshelton759 Do you think children should be insulted from the consequences of irresponsibly. How exactly do you explain moving a whole family into a small motel room if you never explained the concept of responsibility and the consequences of not taking care of business. To many children are being taught entitlement without responsibility. It shows by the small percentage of USA student going into the stem fields or learning blue collar skills that require hard work, technical skills and pay well.
I was upset at the lady with no supporting documentation. Why would you go somewhere when you know you have a meeting scheduled? Get your stuff together and defend yourself! Nobody is going to do it for you and your word means nothing.
I own properties , and not once have I raised the rent to make it so that my people Had to leave. It was fair market increase before the pandemic. Also , my tenants made sure to pay on time. I have the best tenants , and I show my gratitude by making their homes comfortable and a haven.
Raising rent is okay as long as it's small increments but what is going on now is unbelievable. I have seen rents go up 300 - 500 a month. When you have people who are barely able to make the rent as it is and then they raise it by this, forget about it, they are out on the streets.
@@dcg590 you are out of touch, you are telling me that someone gets the rug pulled from under them by rent increasing $300/month and that's your business? Apparently, you must think that $60,000 a year jobs just grow on trees and boom get the rent raised and then with in the next week, you already have a job paying you much more money. So if I came to you tomorrow and said I want 20k a month more for rent and you are going to say, well I just need to provide for myself better? good luck on finding that job and good luck finding a cheaper apartment when there isn't any
When your property taxes cause you mortgage on the properties to go up $300 what do you do then? Landlords saw 200-500 increases in their mortgages, which means the rent goes up. Its that simple
I own two properties, these encompass my side income, when COVID hit, my tenants still had jobs, but I reduced the rent for the entirety of quarantine and didn't bother collecting any late fees for that time. In my experience a happy tenant is a loyal tenant, they treat the property properly. Now that everything is almost coming back to normal, I raised the rent back to its original rate, I assumed my tenants would leave, but they were compliant. The main issue is that many of the landlords, that property is their main source of income, so yeah when a tenant looses their job and can't pay basically means that the landlord doesn't get any income either. For me this stuff is a side hustle, so I can take a hit like this.
Very nice of you. I would have maybe done that a few times but not for an entire year or longer. As you said, landlords have bills to. Would you willingly take a $5-10 an hr pay cut at work though because the CEO of the company you work for said he made less in profits? I doubt it.
I suspect the issue is basic literacy. At the end of the call, the woman stated that she did not understand what the judge had said. As a former high school teacher, I can tell you that a large swath of the public are functionally illiterate. In the schools where I taught, knowing how to read and write was seen as being "white" and students that really did want to learn found themselves physically assaulted.
Yep. I suspect she she lied and was never actually on the lease. Either that or she failed to take her court appearance seriously. Regardless, her landlord should not be expected to provide her a free place to live.
This is why you need to pay via bank transfer with the info of whar you are paying. This has helped me numerous times! This always shows up on your statements. And it is Proof enough!!! People should EDUCATE themselves. WHEN WILL MOST LEARN?
@richie bordelon And she had time for a manicure and to have her braids done. She hid behind the moratorium and used the rent money for everything else. I bet she owed back rent before the moratorium which is why she was one of the first evicted. I wonder how long until she is back at the Salvation Army playing the entitlement card when she gets evicted again.
I think the 24 hour notice comes after all the court stuff. If the judge rules in the favor of the landlord you typically get 24-48 hours to vacate. At least that's what I found out.
Agreed, it wasn't a shock to come home to a notice on your door. The problem is they kept playing victim and thought they would receive pity. Don't count on pity from others. Get up and figure it out. It's not easy but you have to.
As a teen I remember when me and my mom was evicted, all our things thrown in a dumpster when I came home from school and I had no idea what was happening at the time. I remember sleeping in the no working car we had in the apartment parking lot with my mom. My heart goes out to both tenants and landlords tho.. the prices to keep afloat are just unbelievable now
@@sandrazollman550 I remember when Rent for and 1 br was $375 and 2 bedroom $475 that was 21 years ago when I first move out. I was only making $7 an hour and I didn't have no children at that time.
@@sarahsimpkins1311I am curious to hear where were you renting a 1 br in 2001 , for $375? My first apartment in suburbs of NY was $1000 a month, my weekly pay was about $600 net. So almost 2 weeks work for rent.
@@cikosphysicaltherapist6017 that's because you lived in the big city. I didn't live in a big city like New York I was living in the Midwest Wichita Kansas my home town back in 2001 rent was still cheap around that time. And yeah I was only paying $375 for an 1 bedroom apartment it was decent too. Now 20 years later them same apt are Running Between $800 and $900 now.
I have to go to bed but want to view this documentary. My hope is that it will be available for viewing online here. I'll check tomorrow. Prayers for everyone going through difficult times. 🙏
I can't and won't speak for anyone, but we do know there were alot of folks gaming the system and had funds to pay something each month but chose not to. Especially when the unemployment relief was bumped up by 600 a payout. I was laid off as a temp worker because of covid and I made sure the extra money I received through unemployment went to my bills and rent. Priorities first.
I hear you. Unfortunately there are some renters and tenants that do try to hustle the system. I'm not trying to be mean or non sympathetic in any way shape or form, but that woman had her nails, toes, and hair done...maybe she worked in a salon or had a friend that would do that for her super cheap. I'm not trying to judge. I get it we all need to be pampered a little, but if she came out of pocket for that, she should be able to pay something or at least try to come up with some kind of deal with the landlord. Again I'm not trying to come off that way, but if I was a landlord and I was facing foreclosure due to lack of payment and I was facing loosing my property...I see that...then I would feel some type of way. Why should a landlord struggle while the tenant lives large off my dime. We all have our financial wows but fair is fair. Honesty, willingness, compassion, and mutual ground goes a long way. I was evicted during the pandemic. Luckily I was able to purchase a home, mind you while I paid my rent the whole time during the pandemic and my bathroom sink was not being repaired (when washing our hands was the biggest protection against covid ). I felt I was being evicted due to greed. The eviction hold bought me time (still paying my rent well before the fist every month also while I took a pay cut and people on unemployment were making bank) and I used my stimulus for the down payment for my new home (although luckily I had already been working on my credit). Mind you I could only afford something out of state 9 hours from my loved ones and friends, but to me I was in survival mode. I was fortunate enough to find a decent home with enough rooms so that my said friends and family will never have to worry because I will open my home to them. I fear for the future. Not many people seem to have morals and values anymore. No more love and it's sad. What are they going to do when the recession comes or dear I say a depression. We all know history repeats itself.
Oh absolutely. As a renter, I do not have any respect for people who take advantage of their landlords. They make it MORE EXPENSIVE for paying tenants to find a place to rent and live. The truth is they are hurting themselves and other renters by screwing the landlord over. There were numerous programs and charities that offered help paying rent. Honest tenants would approach the landlord LONG BEFORE not paying rent.
Some even had their landlords give them information and paperwork to apply for funds from their states and federal help for rent relief and many didn’t even bother to fill them out of inquire
I NEVER thought I would ever be in this position. I was evicted from my apartment 2 weeks ago. My husband left me for another woman. I couldn't afford the rent on my own. I appealed the eviction. Because they were scheduling court hearings and not notifying me. I was paying half of the rent. But they eventually stopped taking my money. My apartment complex's lawyer appealed the appeal. I lost. The morning of the eviction, sheriff gave me 5 minutes to grab what I can. Cussed me out. Threatened to arrest me for trespassing when I kept trying to go in and grab more of my stuff. My apartment was on the second floor. I parked across the street and watched how they threw all of my stuff over the balcony. Like it was trash. I just sat in my car and cried.
@@dcg590 never said it was their problem. However, these situations could have been handle with more compassion. I was sharing how I ended up in this position. You should go sit in your local eviction court. I guarantee you that your rude attitude will change. The vast majority of people being evicted are black women with children, elderly people, and disabled people who can't work with very limited mobility.
I cannot believe the meanness in the first reply to your comment. Your story hurt my heart, then seeing that just stabbed me. I hope you experience God’s grace and love from here on out and that only the best comes to you in Jesus’ Holy Name, 🙏
In October 2022 time ran out for me staying in the apartment I had been renting since 2009. Fortunately, I had time to move my stuff to storage. The only things I left behind were my mattress and tv entertainment stand. Getting evicted is one of the most stressful and embarrassing things a person can deal with. I was lucky that I had enough time to clear out my place and leave with dignity. Some people get their stuff thrown out onto the curb for all to see. That is the worst way to go. My heart breaks for anyone who had to leave their home in disgrace. I'm currently renting a room in a 5-bedroom home and am in the process of rebuilding my life.
I applied for that rental help because I needed rent relief. I waited 1 year. I called customer service. They would just say that my application was IN REVIEW. And, I got, after 1 year, about $150 to help pay for an electricity bill. They never gave me the rent relief. Don't wait for help. Stop borrowing money from this country and use cash. When we need help, there is no help!
So sad but America is the Richest Country but sends Billions of Tax paying Dollars to other Countries Only for the people From this Country that Needs helps Get Nothing...
I remember going through evictions as a child, such a horrible feeling. I pray for the parents out there who really try to keep a roof over their children’s heads, keep holding on.
I had been on the streets, homeless, since just before 2020. After a devastating tornado ripped through the homeless camp where I and others were staying, I had enough. It wasn't until November of 2020 that I finally reached out to The Salvation Army for help. They were able to quickly get me into a motel room under the Rapid Re-House Program. In August of 2021, my worker applied me for Section 8; I was approved in October. In June of 2022, I was moved into an apartment that I had found that wasn't on Section 8's housing list. Luckily, the apartments that I'm in has people on Section 8, so it worked out perfectly. I wouldn't be in the position that I am today if it weren't for The Salvation Army and other nameless organizations that have helped myself and others in the last few years.
@@mickjohnson3387 I didn't think that mentioning that in on SSI was anyone's business. I also have Multiple Sclerosis. Still, that's no one's business. The fact that you want to complain about me not mentioning anything about a job, only suggests that you care more about someone being employed rather than being happy for their situation. How someone makes money is a private matter. I also do freelance journalism on the side. How would you like it if I complain about you? You offend me.
Unfortunately there were a lot of people who had the ability to pay but took advantage of the fact that they didn't have to. I knew of a few people who straight up said they were going to take that time to save up their money and were going to pretty much ride it out as long as they could without paying anything even though they were working from home and never lost any money.
This is WHY anytime there is tax paid subsidies to assist anyone in a national crisis, and this WAS a crisis, there Most be strict guidelines AND Trained federal workers who impliment the distrubation of tax funds. That if and when fraud is f8ound that the scamners get jail time abd upon release must pay back the taxpayers/government.
This is all anecdotal evidence. What’s the % of ppl that “took advantage “? Do you know? I’ll assume you don’t. I’m most people were and are legit smelt struggling under no fault of their own. Let’s think critically here…
I also know more people than not, took full advantage. Instead of using their stimulus checks to pay rent/mortgage, they went out and bought tvs, motorcycles,etc.- it was also insane to give unemployment of $600 to everyone, even if they had only been making $200 as a waitress. I still don't get how all those already on assistance, getting help with rent, food, medical, etc were given even more. How is that fair to people who legitimately work their butts off, lost businesses, etc??? this entire thing was a nightmare. All that "free" money will severely affect us and the next generation into the future, those of us that work and are not on assistance,that is. I understand asking for help during a crises for a short time period as you get your life back on track, but tax payers supporting all these people for years on end? why should we be responsible to support others based on dumb choices they made? or because they are simply lazy, find excuses and reasons they can't work. Those who are disabled who can't lift heavy things, etc should be given jobs from home on the computer or something. We all have that disabled neighbor who goes shopping every day, someone's several times, and have no issues bringing in bags and boxes Amazon leaves on their porch. Why aren't they working shopping for other people? those blessed with cars can be doing deliveries, giving rides, etc- I just don't get this victim mentality talking over America. Don't keep having kids if you already struggle with the one or two you already have. Just simple common sense. I can barely support my own family working 3 jobs and won't be forced to support yours as you sit on your butt. More and more people waking up and just stop paying taxes.
My family was evicted from our home when I was a senior in high school. I moved out with a relative before it actually happened because I was too embarrassed to stay and wait for the sheriff to show up. I’m an adult now and to this day I worry about “can I really afford that?” I can, but I’m very hyper vigilant about money and housing. Very sad stories I feel for anyone going through this and who experienced it in the past.
I wish others realized the same thing, thats how you have to do it. I feel for anybody who is struggling but stealing is not the answer, whether that means you mug somebody to afford that surgery you need or steal shelter from somebody with the help of government.
Grew up as kid getting evicted all the time. Parents refused to work and sat on their hands. Unfortunately we learned the same lessons in life... can I afford this? We learn not to put ourselves in these situations. People are irresponsible and terrible with money, make poor life decisions that add up to be evicted. It is much easier to place blame on the govt, landlords, shitty bosses etc, then it is to just go out and win.
@@zackb1981 I just have to go you a big AMEN for your comment! That’s right! Go out and WIN! It’s not easy at all, but majority of people could make it happen. Many sit on their butts, are lazy, or make poor life decisions and play the victim.
Been there myself , I think my mom having alcohol issues and ptsd from surviving two bullets in her head maybe but I remember walking in the cold of nights my brother and I along with her trying to find a shelter or church just to get warm etc but my mother wasn’t responsible , sometimes I am still angry at all she’s done but , I’m trying to forgive I must bcus it’s holding me back and we all make mistakes in life I just wish it hadn’t , my heart does go out to all those that are legitimately trying , from formerly homeless many times to blessed with a roof right now but I don’t and can’t forget my past . We are mostly all living from check to check. Bravo to all the ppl trying to sort out and help , and to the ppl that dispose of ppls property in such callousness they will find hardship though I truly don’t wish it but ppl still deserve some respect. Wen I was evicted I had my lease and the lawyer said it would hurt my eviction , I don’t know why I listened but wen u have such little time to pack up 14 years of living it’s hard to think . I lost everything including my pride after the lawyer took my money and said I was now indigent. Also once u are down on your luck a lot of ppl prey on it :(
@@henrymckay9205 and if they can't deal with it, I heard in Canada they are now starting to eliminate these people because they can't support themselves and are a drain on the world. This may start here too.
I'd love to Bless and sing fer ya sometime. I'm an unexpected singer, I make mines as I go along, I do steal other artists beats n tones n stuff, don't care, but the words are all mine love, Alice's restaurant xx
I can’t help but think all those BILLIONS AND BILLIONS AND BILLIONS of dollars being sent overseas should be going to help these people. Shame on our government.
I am so glad they covered the small landlords. As one myself, it was hard on us too. I have a two family home. I live upstairs and I rent out the bottom floor. This was the only way that I could afford a house. Now, I am lucky because my tenant is Section 8. So if he is out of a job, his rent gets paid. We are both covered. I feel for tenants because rent is so ridiculously high. Most people don’t get paid enough to cover rent and other necessary costs.
We had a rental duplex in the early 2000s. Was fine at first, rented to respectable people. Then my hubs lost his job( the big income). The rents paid the mortgage on the place, but not much else. One half decided not to pay rent anymore, he was a cop. He was saving for a down payment on a house, and it took him 5 months to leave. This put us in arrears on the duplex, we had to tell the other super nice couple they had to leave. We gave them a 90 day notice. We told them they could take all the appliances if they wanted. I felt like such a crud throwing people out of their home. This was 2010, the unit was sold back to the bank. I have another duplex situation now, i live in one half. not really counting on extra income, but trying to get sec8 approved for my relative that lives in it. Just in case.
@@cherylcook1942 Unbelievable about your cop tenant not paying for 5 months! How did he even qualify for a mortgage loan...? Hopefully you were able to report him to the credit reporting agencies? He didn´t deserve a mortgage loan after doing that to you! It´s true, lots of people don´t even think in terms of the small landlord needing to pay high costs. One thing that strikes me the most is the importance of communication in all this. If tenants keep communicating with their landlords, that makes things so much better, (at least it should help) Just to stop paying & not trying to work out a plan with the landlord seems like a really bad way to deal with it. You sound like amazing landlords, giving your good tenants 90 days notice & allowing them to take the appliances! That´s so kind. Plus you felt awful at the same time through no fault of your own.
That’s the tough part. Anyone with a heart has empathy but when your renters are just taking care of the mortgage it gets pretty tough. Especially when you lose your job too because of COVID…Then empathy goes out the window because your credit is being ruined…
@@cherylcook1942 so basically you are trying to get handouts for “ family “ to pay your house payment. That money comes from people like me paying taxes
Is your rent too outrageously high? If so let's talk about it!!! I noticed a trend of rent creeping up higher and higher and apartments homes are not getting upgraded any nicer. Price gouging at its finest.
That 24 hr notice was not the first she heard of that eviction. No eviction happens in 24 hrs. There had to have been paperwork filed... a court date...
Amazing! Frontline docs are always the best. The lady and her daughter speaks volumes. It's incredible how resilient kids can be. I know some people that were evicted from their homes b/c they could not pay. I have 6mths of emergency savings just for situations like these. I volunteer at the homeless shelters to help and to keep me grounded. It's a humbling feeling.
@@dancalmpeaceful3903 They are presenting Facts! What are you dissatisfied about? You must be talking about Fox. That's the one that can't tell fact from fiction.
@@dancalmpeaceful3903 Agree. If my tax dollars go to help fund PBS - I better get more middle of the road point of view - not just the liberal “I’m a victim” b.s.🧐
Why couldn’t that lady and daughter stay with the Grandmother for a while? Save that money instead of blowing $99 per night….that’s plus taxes I bet. Not sustainable.
People are judging people in this video but with increased rental prices now many people are barely able to pay rent. In my area my rent was $939 for 3 br townhouse, I looked to move rent was now $1200 to $1800 for 3 br townhouse. My heart goes out to people who are struggling.
We didn't just raise rents for no reason, my property taxes, insurance, maintenance, and water costs have all increased like never before. Property taxes alone went up 14%!
$2600 A MONTH for a 1bedroom apt in oakland with the greatest amenities ever... "we can watch homicides from our balcony, drug addicts shoot up,, converters get cut from cars and the police do nothing". Let's trade places
what is the landlord's fault for this, if they don't pay they have to leave, but they make things difficult ,, landlord pay taxes we are not the government
@@QueenSlime007 by heart break for all I mean ALL I am a landlord myself and I know the consequences of tenants not paying but I also know what it's like to receive an eviction notice with no where to go
I drove around and noticed most of the houses had 3 to 5 vehicles. Some even more. It's good to have relatives help each other out. I feel so sad when no one can help some people. What will they do. Praying for them
What’s touching about it they had months to save up money but chose the lazy way. Out What’s going to happen when the government cuts off all the help…? Reality is get a job
@@migomigo2595 I never was trust I’ve been without a home so I know the ins and outs and a lot of these people are just trying to beat the system or just are content with their life on the streets
I’m so thankful to my parents. Both of my sisters have faced evictions, and they always knew they could stay with my parents until they got on their feet. I personally have never been evicted, but I definitely have empathy towards it. Such a humiliating thing that stays on your record, and psyche. Luckily my niece and nephews don’t remember or give much thought to what their moms had to go through
Ah yes, for those of us blessed with our parents, a warm fuzzy feeling that we can always go back to mom and pop. We will always be their children, I bet my mom would take me in even if I was 60.
Alexis is so cute to me! I love how positive she tried to remain. I'm glad she was able to get her life back on track, it broke my heart when she cried in the beginning while talking about her daughter. Her daughter is beautiful.
Mrs Robinson didn't bother to show up for her life. She knew it was very important, yet didn't prepare for the hearing. Maybe she has cognitive difficulties and needed to be assigned an advocate.
I wanna ssy I'm surprised but im bot. I see this all the time with black folk. Know something is important and be totally flabbergasted when THEYRE the ones not prepared. Where is her younger family to help her??? Everybody wants to go to grandma's house but no one wants to protect it...
@@nickolespears she had folks helping her move, so where were they when the shizz was in the fan? They waited til after it hit the wall. It looked self sabotage.
It's so sad it's like looking in a mirror any of us can end up like this tomorrow, as humans we fail to empathize it's like we're forced to look away and become less human
Unfortunately, that's the country we are becoming more and more. I just could not believe why they could not stay, at least for a short time, with the grandmother. If it was me, even if they had to sleep on the floor, I would have let them stay. We have become very individualistic country.
The government failed everyone by forcing landlords to house citizens without guaranteed reimbursement. Property owners should not be bankrupted based on government policies.
Thank you for delivering hope along with the horror. A woman like Ms. Hatcher is an inspiration. The way she managed the crisis without it harming her little girl made me weep. That woman should be running a major corporation, not fighting homelessness.
@@pissoff234 That's pretty insensitive. I totally agree. To be in a situation like that with a child and still be calm says how much in controlled she can be in times of crisis.
I own three rentals in a Southern California beach town. One of my tenants applied for (and received) rental assistance as soon as it became available. Another waited for a few months-I think he had a “deer in the headlights” reaction to all the chaos-but eventually applied as well. My property management company accepted partial payments from him while he waited for the relief funds to come through. (The third rental was unoccupied and undergoing massive repairs.) Fortunately, I was able to fall back on savings and my credit card when necessary. Thankfully we all made it through and are getting back to normal. The federal and state rental assistance programs had some “bugs,” but they saved many, many people from economic disaster.
Sad but truth. We need to see documentaries like this. FRONTLINE you got the ball out the stadium congratulations on well documented American issues, now I am hook thank you for uploading today is the third day I am watching all source of your docuemtanries.
I was evicted 15 years ago when I was 16, my dad had just died of cancer in september and the landlord threw us out on the street with a 24/hr eviction, even though we paid rent just fine. I don't want my kids to go through the same thing
As a former property manager and landlord, you don't just get a 24 eviction notice. There are several notices and court before you get to this point. Landlords should've come to agreements based on PROOF that you now have less income. Unfortunately, MANY tenants took advantage and didn't pay. Now leaving what is happening, a $200 increase in rents across America!
LL here, too. You are so correct. I have to increase my rents in So Cal higher than ever before. I hate to do it, but I need a cushion for when the state effs me over in the future.
It wasn't balanced. They need to do one of the stress and hardship this caused landlords. How many lost their homes? They have bills to pay themselves.
That is one of the most adorable and adjustable children. Also I believe a great Mother! I saw the end of the video so I know turns out well but God bless you lady! You were so kind, and positive through the whole ordeal. You are a true example! Serious joy God Bless you! ❤️❤️
Thank you, Frontline, for sharing these stories. It is sad to watch, but we need to know what is happening to our fellow Americans. My heart goes out to them.
@@lordhumongus8669 The cost of doing business is things like the AC going out or needing a new hot water heater in a rental. It does not include leaches living rent free. If they can't afford the rent then need to find a better place.
Thank God my husband's elderly parents had the financial means to help my family during the pandemic. If it weren't for their loan of Ten thousand dollars we would have been homeless. My household has three adults. My son and I are disabled and unable to work. I am in treatment now and I am trying to recover and return to work. My son is still looking for a job. We also have three rescue animals- a dog and two cats. They were paid back in full and my husband is back to work as a taxi driver.
@@Nicholas-f5 My husband worked and we payed rent until he was furloughed due to Covid. He asked his parents for a loan after his pandemic unemployment insurance was delayed for two years. He was finally given his unemployment and paid his parents back. As for the landlord she is in Fla. collecting rent on our apt that she hasn't updated since 1979.
Me too Maria….We have lived in a Hotel for several years. I can’t afford an apartment in my area. I have a “tab” at the hotel because I work for a world wide well known company. All of our belongings are in a 5’x8’ storage unit that cost me $140 and month😭how is that fair. Welcome to Arizona 😔
@@SongSingsSoprano That's sucks.. I'm sorry. I had to throw out most all my belongings when I lost my house & had to rent a small room. Restart from scratch.
@@donnarupert4926 I wouldn't call living in a hotel homeless. You have a bed, electricity, heat, AC, a bathroom and you don't have to deal with being questioned by police.
@@JoseGarcia-cb5dz I'm 16 and i know a lot about life landlords are rich AF rent needs to be free it's not right demanding money from poor people it's like charging money to breath air. We need to demand politicians to change the law smh 🤦♂
@@swallowedinthesea11 You're too young to have such sweeping generalizations. You have a right to your opinion, of course, but you need to have some perspective. SMH that you think rent should be free. Wait until you get a job, pay taxes and have to support those who think rent should be free.
The landlords either refuse to partipate in the programs, or receive large checks and proceed with evictions anyway. It should be enforced that once the government funds are received that they are not allowed to file an eviction immediately after.
This happened to my sister, she had just had a baby and was waiting on her student money to pay her rent since she had been laid off and was taking college classes online, the day she went to court was the day the funds were deposited and even though she had enough to pay court costs and attorney's fees they still evicted her with a 3 day old baby
What about the thousands of tenants who splurged their extra income but wouldn’t pay rent because they knew they couldn’t get evicted? While I am a hardcore PBS watcher, this one was badly biased. There is a whole movement and lifestyle out there of people who don’t pay their rent.
Good point-one thing I question is where did all the money go from the stimulus checks? People with children got fat checks, more money for each child. Where did all that money go instead of to rent?
its funny how the top comments all sympathize with these people but as you scroll down, its the people with common sense and saw what was going on. These people thought they were getting a free ride. its amazing how everyone saw free money and completely lost all work ethic. They went out and bought new cars with all the extra money thinking it was going to last forever. Now you're seeing mass repossessions and evictions. There's jobs and work out there, they just want to play victim. And now they all want to gang up on landlords. Some may be predatory but a lot have mortgages on these properties that they struggled to pay. This will be a wakeup call to these people cause they needed it.
As a black man who grew up in a rough area and built up my life and now properties people have no idea the stress this has added on the landlords. My good tenets always contact me right away. I feel bad for kids, but I have never had a decent tenet I can’t work things out with. The ones that just don’t pay or act shocked when they get an eviction notice are the entitled ones.
Exactly! I never evicted a good tenant. Only bad ones. If they let it’s get so far as to need the judge to mediate their problems then I have no problem evicting them. I have only three evictions over almost an eleven years of being a landlord.
I had a tenant like that. Most tenants would contact me ahead of time. We work something out. Like no pay rent for amount of time or when covid is over etc... no interest etc.. The group of party people. Hell they didn't even bother talking to me. I try to talk to shut me off. I told them flatly how bout free rent for a year. you move out. I don't bother taking you to court. They were like okay. I'm like we understand each other. Rest of it was history. They left in the year. Everyone was happy. Rest of the tenants were happy.
Sad but this will never stop! I live in a condo we have a neighbor who has 2 beds 2 baths but 12 peeps live in there. I was talking to the mom she said her kids and grandkids gave up their apt. too high and could not pay it anymore. 🙏🏽
This happened to my aunt in TN. She has stage four COPD, among other illnesses, and relied on the income of her daughter to help makes end meet. When my cousin lost her job, she was evicted despite the moratorium. She ended up living in a seedy motel for more months before she got any assistance.
My parents have owned a trailer park + 2 apartments in the same property as their home since the 70s. In all that time, they've had to evict 3 tenants. People would just come to them, say they were having trouble and they'd work out a deal. If someone lost their job, my dad would ask everyone in town if they were hiring and if the tenant would be a good fit, ect. When they got a new job, they'd just pay a little extra until the backrent was repaid. No late charges or fees. Currently they have 1 tenant who mows in lieu of rent. In the fall, he handles the leaves and in the winter, he does the snow shoveling. He also keeps the gutters cleared and trims branches and little things. He's been there since the 90s. Another tenant drives my dad to the post office every day because he's losing vision due to macular degeneration. She's been there about 15 years and it was the only affordable place she could find that would let her keep her big dog (that's my dad's buddy now). The tenants look out for my dad (my mom passed last year) because he's looked out for them for decades. A lot of the problem today is that the landlords do not live in the same community as their tenants. Their tenants aren't their neighbors, they're just their revenue.
That system cannot work in a place like Detroit.
@@genedesalvo1120 if only it could be that way
sounds better than family !!
I'm so glad your parents have/had the right idea. To me, it's insane people pay 600 for a property payment, with taxes and insurance etc and then they charge 1,500 or more for rent. It makes no sense. Just because some website like Zillow or whatever says it doesnt make it worth it. Then if they get good renters for a year, they keep raising rent . Its crazy
So many trailer parks are being bought up by corporations and pushing long time Tennants out!
I feel so bad for those who have legitimate reasons for falling behind on rent. Especially, when children are involved. The saying is true, "If you have a roof over your head and food on the table, you are truly blessed."
Definitely!!! My mother always told me to make sure you pay your rent. Ppl will feed you but nobody will pay your bills!!!💯
Nobody falls into eviction just because that’s real nasty attitude to have…👎👎👎👎
@@Mary20002 No it is not a nasty attitude to have. It is legitimate because there are people in this world who do not pay their bills. That is their way of life. The woman in NJ was a perfect exacmple. She kept saying she paid the rent but never backed it up with proof. So you should not call people out when you are too naive to know the truth about the world.
If you have kids when you are poor you are a straight up scum bag disgusting human being.
None of these people are legit
This documentary was difficult to watch because I have personally experienced eviction. Being evicted is a degrading, humiliating, and traumatic experience and you are at a loss of knowing what to do. I had to live in a homeless shelter until I eventually found permanent housing. I had no family to stay with like Alexys Hatcher did. She should be thankful she had a grandmother to stay with. This was 12 years ago. Today, I live in a nice home in a middle-class neighborhood and I work my ass off to make sure I never experience homelessness again. I hope and pray all of the people featured in this documentary were able to get their lives together and find new homes for themselves. To all the people in the comments section making insensitive comments about the people featured in this documentary, Becoming homeless can happen to you too.
I like the way this documentary also explored the issue of eviction from the landlord's perspective instead of being biased in favor of the tenants. Excellent Frontline documentary! 👍
Thank single family zoning and nimbys for your troubles getting housing.
Okay and you knew eviction was coming. This documentary makes it appear as if the people were just suddenly aware they were going to be evicted. They had had months of issues… This is designed to hit your heart strings and ignore reality
The very first story starts with “I got 24 hours notice I was being evicted”. NO she didn’t… She knew for months she wasn’t paying her rent and that this day was going to eventually come upon her.
@@merediths2cents You sound like a wonderful, kind person
If you live beyond your means but can afford a fancy hairdid and plastic junk for the kids, then its a personal problem. I am only 1:45 into the video and already have an idea what the real problem is.
That mom that said "to her, wherever I am, is her home" hit me hard. I was homeless with my daughter that was just as sweet. I pray them all the best.
Please give your child up for adoption. Your life isn't important, but you're ruining her life with your inability to provide basic housing. I suppose the story is the same with the father. There are plenty of foster homes and actual two parent households that would love to raise your daughter and give her the future that she deserves. As a society we need to stop accepting selfish behavior like yours. You want a child without having first done the work of preparing to take care of that child. Unacceptable.
@@jhagen4850 first of all. Homeless doesn't mean we stayed on the streets. So miss me with the judgement. Second of all, not everyone is blessed enough to be able to plan for having a child. Life happens. Get off your high horse. How dare you say someone's life isn't important 😡
@@freespirited682 For many years in society we bought your argument: "not everyone is blessed enough to be able to plan for having a child." OK. But did you have a plan to have a career? Did you have a plan for getting a job? Did you have a plan to save money? Did you have a plan to actually get married? Today we realize that in all of these cases the answer is a resounding "no."
So now you're asking us, the taxpayer ( and yes, my wife and I probably pay more than you make in a year in state and federal taxes) for a handout.
I'm sorry, but the answer is NO. NO MORE HANDOUTS. This is ridiculous.
YOU DON'T WANT TO BE JUDGED? I too am tired of paying nearly half of our income on federal, state and local taxes and still having problem children (almost all single parent families) in our childrens' schools so my kids can't learn.
You are a burden on society and I'm sick of it. Letting you keep your child after you've experienced homelessness is the final straw, because you're obviously passing down generational poverty to your child. Let me guess, your child doesn't have any money saved up for continued learning so that'll probably fall on taxpayers, too. It's enough! We're all getting sick of it!
It's time we change the law so your child can be put in a loving, supportive home, not stay with you and end up on the street selling drugs and adding to our crime problems. Enough is enough. Taxpayers like me are absolutely sick of paying for people like you, and change is coming. And it's going to come fast.
@@jhagen4850 i agree.
@@freespirited682 consider it.
Getting evicted is one of the most humiliating and difficult experiences I’ve ever been through. My family and I were evicted from our forever home in 2011. I was still in high school and my dad never told us he was behind on the mortgage. I remember that day. I woke up to a sheriff knocking on my bedroom door telling me to get out. Seeing all our stuff outside in the front yard in front of our neighbors was difficult to go through.
I hope you’re doing better now! So sorry your family went through that.
It makes no sense to try and buy a home, that job can go at any moment.
@@leahcotton5315 Thank you! That experience was definitely very difficult to go through at that moment in time, but now we are okay. With everything that has happened recently we’re just happy to be alive & well and together as a family.
-Best regards.
@@flowersandcandyflowersandc9093 that same argument can go for an apartment
@@jameshumphrey3425 A house mortgage is different from an apartment lease also it's more monthly.
The fact that we get free documentaries on UA-cam by FRONTLINE is truly a gift. 👍👍👍
Oh, hun. Did you really not know PBS is publicly funded? Props to you for avoiding federal income taxes!!!!
A gift from the taxpayers!
Grift is more like it. Forced taxpayer propaganda.
Nothing in life is free
It truly is the absolute best.
This makes me appreciate my parents even more. We always lived in the same home they bought for $23k in the 60s. I never knew how much they sacrificed and struggled until I got about 30 and was told how much hardship they went thru to keep our home…which today is worth nearly half a million.
Awesome sauce!
@@ihatespam2807 lol
@@mikeprobst1839 right, way to come on here to flex
Privileged people make me sick
I am happy for your parents having a home but this just reminds me of how much the dollar has fallen as a currency and all the government involvement and spending doesn't help things.
I work 40 plus hours a week and I'm still homeless. System is broken. Just going to keep grinding. 2024
During the pandemic when the moratorium was in place in NYS I was doing great paying rent. I ended up getting sick in the winter, not being able to work, and ultimately got behind in rent. Last month I had applied for emergency rental assistance. I still had to go to court though. The lawyer for the property manager and I sat down and talked for about 15 minutes. I explained that I’m back working again and that emergency rental assistance is willing to cover 6 months. We were able to work out a deal in order for me to stay at my place. I’ve simply had to work my butt off to cover the rest. I have one more month to take care of and then I’ll be caught up. I’m just glad the landlord and lawyer were willing to work with me.
Communication is always key! A closed mouth doesn’t get fed. Something similar happened to me. It’s expensive for landlords to file eviction, if they can avoid it (within reason) they will.
They are working eith you, because you are working your but off to eork with them. I'd bend over backwards for a tennant like you.
@@reneehenderson4818 i’ll keep that in mind if I’m ever looking for a new place.
But another aspect to your story is that not only were the landlord and lawyer receptive to working on a solution with you, but that YOU were willing to work! You worked hard to pay on any monies that were in arrears while simultaneously paying your current rent. There have been a lot of folks that have used the pandemic to quit their jobs and use the moratorium period as a vacation.
@@hayleywise7403 not everyone was covered under the moratorium, thousands of working families were evicted during lockdown. people don't quite understand it isn't black & white, not every landlord is a victim & not every tenant was a scammer, and not everyone who was evicted was covered under anything nor did everyone that was evicted had any issues with not paying. It's not that easy, it's much more complicated than people think. There's laws that need to be started across the board nationwide.
It's crazy how much protection is available for squatters than there is actual paying tenants.
ESPECIALLY in NJ which is particularly tenant friendly. I had to also use the ejectment approach with a destructive meth head tenant who initially agreed in writing to a cash for keys deal. Then he sued to reinstate his tenancy. He ultimately lost, but it cost us $10k in legal fees.
@@mkg578 Good grief! I'm sorry to hear that.
My husband and I owned a home that we rented out. We had trouble with our last tenant. She stopped paying and Illinois is for the renter, not the owner. It sucked. She was awful woman and I’m so glad she’s gone and we have since sold that home!
Right
@@mkg578 The state should be forced to reimburse your legal fees.
Just be happy at any age that you can move back in with your parents. Some people don't have that luxury.
Talk about entitlement. She says, I'm 43 and don't feel like I should have to live with my parents.
@@truther001 ????
Yes she is blessed.
Amen to that 🙏🏽
I am 43 and had to move back into my parents house. So what? Atleast I have a fall back position and stepping stone to start anew. And I am thankful for that.
As someone who was already homeless when coronavirus hit, I pray for resilience, patience, and guidance for everyone 🦋
I am 61 years old, I have been on my own since the age of 17, I worked all my life and paid my bills then Covid happened, I am now homeless and still suffering from what Covid did to my life financially and physically. There is no real help for me, waiting lists on everything, every day I pray I feel well again so I can work and earn a living.
What are you eating
@@jasonblack6142 we get some food stamps but we have no means to keep or cook food we eat a lot of peanut butter and canned fruit/veggies. Every day I tell myself that things will get better.
@@pattieb301stay strong and as hard as it is, keep the faith. You are one of many that did things correctly.
@@pattieb301it's been a year. Are things better for now?
I personally feel living with parents should not be a matter of shame. Sad to see this.
Agreed. It doesn't make you a failure, EVERYBODY needs help sometimes
I live with my mother because she is 80 years old and needs help with her bills, medicine, etc. She can't drive anymore.
never understood why living with parents was so frowned upon when the current state of this is economy makes it impossible for young people to live on their own, much less buy a home.
@@davidroyl2241 America had an unsustainable amount of prosperity from 1960 to 2005 that made it easy for individuals to own their own home or rent an apartment when that has not been the case for the majority of the world ever
I agree, i have no shame at all. Its normal in most countries and I hope the stigma is lifted here.
Years of living a dangerous life has taught me that a tough man knows when and how to get out of a situation, but a smart man never gets himself into one.
Very wise philosophy, best wishes from upstate NY!!
I agree but sometimes circumstances are beyond your control. When their is a death in the family, medical bills, job loss etc. Even though everyone should be saving for that surprise situation that could be right around the corner, with the wages so behind for years and land lords wanting more and more for rent, it gets hard for families these days.
uh pandemic happened
@@deannanance8843 death in the family = have life insurance. Medical bills=have health insurance. Job loss=have emergency fund.
@@jocelynejean9911Good advice, but all of what you said aren't taught in school. And they won't learn until they are facing these life changing issues and by then it is too late.
I paid my rent throughout the pandemic. I was never late but when it came time to renew my lease, my rent increased by $300. Greed is the problem
Supply chain disruption caused prices of many things not made in America to increase. Work force was taking time off due to covid thus increasing demand on those services. Demand for homes and rental units increased massively before this and during this time period, giving pricing power to landlords and home sellers. An unbelievable amount of money was artificially pumped into the market from the government which increased prices for almost everything causing 40 year high inflation. Greed is almost objectively not the largest problem in this instance.
Thx FJB
You paid an increase because others didn't pay at all. Blame them.
Slaves dont pay rent. Did someone tell you they do?
I was blessed. I worked two jobs and paid my rent throughout the pandemic, when it was time for an increase it only went up by $50. I'm a great tenant and they rewarded me.
During the pandemic I had 4 tenants not able to pay. I patiently waited and pursued the programs that paid the rent plus late fees for the tenants and it ultimately worked out in the end. It was hard on me for awhile but I'm glad it all worked out.
Every Landlord doesnt have the luxury and finances to wait like you did
@@checkerslane if you are a landlord, you are expected to fix things like ac, water heaters and plumbing.nneach of thos items have pricetags that could go as high as $10,000.00. this means a landlord better have enough sense to have reserves. There's no excuse any tenant will accept if he's living in a home that's not repaired in a timely manner. Having said that....a landlord could easily route the funds for emergency use like I did. It's not a luxury....it's a must. In my state the sheriff can be summoned out to MAKE the owner repair things.
Glad it worked out for you. Every state had different programs for how to actually qualify and disperse the funds. For many it wasn’t so easy as to be patient and pursue. A lot of tenants simply ghosted you or refused to sign the paperwork despite the pleas, and as the landlord you could do nothing except bleed money and be vilified. There sure wasn’t a tax moratorium to the states or cities preventing evictions. You’re 100% correct that cash reserves are a must.
@@johngatsby1473 Again every Landlord doesnt have the luxuries you have. Many people have a house and barely getting by. Your thought process is the root of what went wrong during the pandemic...this thinking that Landlords should have money and they should be able to get by with a tenant not paying them rent for a few months
@@checkerslane how is my thought process wrong? I am expected, by law, to make sure the house is habitable which means you Betta have reserve money, no excuses so redirect that reserve money and help your tenants. Some people shouldn't even try to be in the game if they can't afford it. That's called poor planning and that's the real problem....not my way of thinking
Man, I feel for these people. My pops passed away last year and I got covid at his funeral. I was out of work for a month & a half. Fortunately I had savings, paid time off and stocks I could sell. Plus family & friends who were getting my medication and bringing me food. I wouldn’t have made it otherwise.
Exactly! Thank god my grandparents home was not sold because I would not have a safety net to fall into when things get tough unexpectedly . We are truly lucky 🍀 and blessed
Life is very tough. It’s up and down.
I had covid an no one did jack shit for me.
@@SD-pi9co No one cares.
@@schawnettarobinson8584 I know and I'm cool with it.
whew i remember being here .. went from amazing job to losing my job and being too prideful to go to the food stamp office and treated like a low class i was so humiliated im like it wasnt my fault i was laid off ! i was denied so made a bad situation , no food , rent fell behind , went to my church they wouldn’t help .. but God is still amazing i got unemployment but it was barely enough i forced myself to continue to pay my car note to at least have reliable transportation to look for a new job , i held on to 40/50 dollars to buy food from the 1.00 store , i didnt give up asking other churches to help i stood in line 3am to request help i finally got help from 2 churches who chipped in together to pay my rent for 2 month within that 2 months i got a new job making double what i was making , today ive been able to pay off all my debts , just made my final car note payment , live in a beautiful home , have money in my savings again and food ! I say all of that to say , hard times dont last forever , it may not feel like it but you will make it out this situation! Im praying for everyone out there going thru a hard time you will get thru this
Help for homeless $Ambie9514
All that money you dumped into the church and when you needed help they turned their head. Lesson learned DO NOT give a cent to the church.
Praise God for your testimony🙌🏼 He will make a way when there seems to be no way!
Your point is hard work. Even though you got help, it was temporary. You did what I would like to see others do. Stop waiting on a handout, be a grown up and do better. Congratulations to you. Hopefully all these comments will either inspire others to do better or the comments will anger those who play victim throughout life.
I was living in the car with my 8 yr old son. I had a full time job but the landlord didn't have the permits to rent to tenants so the city gave us only 8 hours notice. I put all my sons things in the car and only what I needed for me. I watched a group of men throwing my clothes in the trash. Today I'm 65 and my son is 32 and he's doing well. Life is hard but you struggle through it as best you can. Losing stuff can happen in a fire,tornado or becoming homeless. I'm a minimalist for that reason. I feel blessed in my life though having survived Stage 3 breast cancer. ❤️
🙏 🤗
Don’t make a kid because it costs like $100,000 dollars from 0 to 18 years
homeless breeder
Where was the kids father?
@@cg5648 he was busy making more kids with other women
@@cg5648 In another state doing whatever.
It’s hard to be a shrewd heartless landlord if you’ve previously been a financially struggling renter. I remember how hard life was for my wife and I 25 years ago. Barely scraping by, hoping to god the car didn’t break down or we didn’t have to pay a doctor bill. Did that for almost 10 years, then my wife and I matured and started getting promoted at work. Now we’re making 4 times our previous income and when my renters are late I find a way to make it work. As long as they’re honest and making a true effort, we can usually work out a deal. I’m willing to do everything I can to keep them housed. But I do need to see them put forth effort.
That seems to be the overall theme here, if you're making an effort things usually work out in the end.
Lots of landlords are assholes but many are just hard working people trying to make a living and need the rent to live. My brother has two small apartment buildings with 9 tenants and he takes them to work with him when they cant pay rent.
That broke my heart when those people got evicted and still said god bless you to the judge.
You are a Blessing ..Remembering what it was like to be in the struggle and being considerate to others still in the struggle
Thank you and God bless you!
these documentaries are my way of being prepared for the unknown. we can be taught but few actually listen.
Actually they posted similar stuff throughout the years but most folks are not paying attention until it's too late.
im always watching living in a car videos, or living in motel videos!
@@avedahusniyahadara Don't watch tooo much, it is not good for you. I also need to cut back
@@marciabarreto780 why?
@@Katana_00 I just think it is depressing and scares us and I think that if we focus our attention too much on something then we can manifest it in our lives. Just fear, darling.
This is very sad to watch! I was evicted once 19 years ago and it was traumatizing. I got my finances in order, watched Dave Ramsey a lot, and thank God never faced that again. Praying for those who are facing this now 🙏🏻
In the 70's a modest house cost $30,000 on an acre of land. Only one parent needed to work to support their family. Generally most jobs provided adequate income for these basics. Housing, transportation, healthcare were accessible. You didn't have to be " rich" to have a decent life.
Today the costs of everything has skyrocketed. Many families require over 2 full time jobs to survive.
Just survive, month to month.
Many go into debt as well.
These are not lazy people.
4 decades of " trickle down" economics has sent this country onto a bad trajectory.
Wealth is not " trickling down". It is hoarded.
I've been through this, wife and child... and it is the most heart wrenching, cold, humiliating, hopeless experiences I've ever had to endure. I hope these people can get back on their feet.
good thing im responsible, dont have children I cannot afford and pay my bills while keeping a job.
@@Matthew2077 You never know where life will take you. Shame on you.
@@Matthew2077 millions of people had their children before things got bad, that's just common sense to realize that not everyone is like your friends who breed like rabbits. I suggest finding new friends
@@Matthew2077 shame on you for being responsible and without children….how dare you 😂
@@thuandao4243 yeah i know. I work and budget my money and pay my bills. The shame I feel.
As hard as this is to watch, this needs to be said, some of these landlords are small time landlords that own 1 to say 3 rentals and when their tenants stop paying then the next thing that happens is the landlord starts suffering. Bills need to be paid on both sides of the aisle.
@Susan McConnell you're right. My spelling is like Isle of Man.
Correct. I have seen many foreclosures because the underlying tenant didn't pay the landlord owner rent, required eviction, and left the place damaged
Yep lots of small landlords are gone.
Corporate landlords are taking over.
Do these tenants offer to do maintenance, yard work, shovel snow, rake leaves, anything to help the landlord? Or do they wait for circumstances roll over them?
@@carylhalfwassen8555 My old landlord had a tenant who admittedly was bad at money and was wishy-washy with paying for a few months. The landlord went to the house for something unrelated (I think tools or something that were stored at the property) and showed up to find out the family had been letting the house fall apart without either telling the landlord or offering to fix it. The tenant was supposedly a handyman, but let things like a fallen gutter linger that could easily turn into a big water issue. They'd been his tenants for years, which was why he let them off with many months of payment issues, but after seeing the house like that, he decided to stand his ground more with the tenant.
If you think this can not happen to you think again, renting or owning.... Hard days ahead, for every one of us 😪
Speak for yourself. You don't know everyone.
Yup! Shit is sad!
Speak for yourself.
Shit is getting real I see a lot of homeless people here in my small town 😳
While they're building luxury apartments that not all of us can afford 😢
I was a drug addict. Got evicted I was nice about it. Got treatment after living in storage. Put all my stuff in storage first obviously. Been clean 3 months. New job. New apartment. Eviction sucks. I’ll never do it again.
Good for you becoming clean
My mom was on drugs growing up. We lost our home twice. And lost everything we had in storage like 3 times. She taught me not to get to attached to things. Unfortunatley I took it overboard and have trouble not getting attached to people as well. 😕
That's using your head.
I can relate
My mom was an alcoholic and could not keep a job. She forced me to answer the phone from bill collectors and the apartment managers and lie about where my mom was and when she was going to pay. I was only 6 yrs old when this started and I had to do till I left home at 14. Other bad things were going on in my home too. To this day I resent the fact that she forced me to lie, to cover up her being an alki. Never got an apology for this and other mis treatment. Seeing that yellow 'pay or quit' notice taped to the door was terrifying as a young child for sure.
So glad for Alexis. She seems like a good person and a good mom. Her daughter is testimony to that. So adorable.
she has a 300$ braid job in her hair and acrylic nails. they got bonuses on unemployment&foodstamps. shes not innocent in her situation.
I can honestly say that i worked the whole time via fast food and my landlord is a good dude he let me split rent due to this issue and i am thankful that he has not raised rent on me and still works with me to make sure that rent is paid and we as tenants have food
My heart just goes out to that single mom striving to do good, to do b right and be faced with homelessness on top of everything else she's had to face. yet she hides all that pain, panic, fear of wth do I do she hid all of those emotions to protect her daughter and keep as much normalcy as possible!!!
God loves you and so do I!
Thank you to the red cross woman that helped.
Where’s the dad of that child he ghosted and all
His family… she rather pay rent than
Live with her grandmother because she don’t like the rules there smh
Something is wrong with that woman from Newark. She had no lease, did she sublet? Was she paying rent:? To who:? If you get scammed, it's on you to know you are not paying the real landlord. Plus don't pretend to sleep have a film crew there and then pretend you didn't know the eviction cops were coming. Plus if you have an important court zoom meeting don't go to the market.
That woman is clearly on some BS.
I think she's a scammer and playing dumb is her schtick.
Definitely a lot of loose ends in that story.
She’s was taking advantage of the system just like many others
Yeah something is definitely wrong with her critical thinking skills. It seems like she may even have some sort of mental disability. I don’t know
We need more judges like Judge Whitfield - she cares about both sides!! The landlord in the blue dress is top notch also!!
I am 81 years old and have always been a renter, was a single Parent with 3 Children when I was 27 years old.
Thank you to Landlords who rented to me and also trusted me. We had an excellent relationship.
I am alone now living in a subsidized complex, my Children all married and doing fine. It takes wise budgeting to survive, but not impossible and Life is beautiful, remembering all the material wealth does not make for a Happy Life!
Yes, they are phenomenal!!
@@lindajohnson1873 I guess when you are black and your landlord is black, the white man can’t be blamed…
People don't realize they are one accident away from being homeless. This happened to my family. We always paid our bills on time, worked hard every day, but then there was an accident. Our savings went so quickly. We lost our home, was homeless, and struggled for years. But we fought our way back and we are now living in our dream home that we just purchased! You can come back from anything with a little hard work!
I came across a homeless encampment one time. It was mostly cars and motorhomes. These were all people that were once middle class that got hit hard by the last financial crisis. So yeah.
Right... All the homeless in this country just need to work a little hard. It's just that simple.
Thank you for the inspirational story. We need more Americans like you.
@@pest174 I prefer work smart over work hard.
You went full circle. Another sickness, tragedy, or accident could have you repeat the very painful journey you did before. Buying and home is not the same as owning a home. Americans have been convinced to buy in to a nightmare but it is packaged as a dream.
I like that she cares about her tenants, God Bless her!
I have a degree of sympathy for small landlords too. I rented a house from a wonderful man for years. It was his family home. Rent was incredibly fair - but it was a high property tax area on 1 1/2 A of land. It was an older home with needed repairs. He was wonderful to my daughters and me at a very hard time - he ultimately sold it to me at WAY below what his kids wanted for it. But the thought of ever missing a months rent and him going into his own pocket…….I can’t imagine.
Thank you so much for bringing our attention to small, middle-class, non-corporate landlords. Some of us seem to ignore the fact that small landlords carry our own mortgages, taxes, and HOA fees, etc. we must pay monthly, and that we got no government protection during the pandemic.
As an individual landlord, I was providing free housing to my tenant (who lived with her baby) OUT OF MY OWN POCKET for over a year. The tenant eventually moved out w/o paying the back rent or telling me, and I don’t even know where she is. Suing her doesn’t seem “right” to me, somehow, given that my tenant was a Black single mother…
Very good point, and well taken. Clearly, landlords have financial and fiscal responsibilities to fulfill. But, in some cases (as was the case during Covid - an admittedly bad example), the government could step in and give the landlords some relieve or reprieve so that families - human beings - are not turned out into the street. I mean, we live in one of the wealthiest nations on the entire planet; with over 192 sovereign nations and 7+ billion people, America is far and away one of the wealthiest. Some countries have far less capital, and the homeless rates are far lower than ours (kind of like our prison system - 2.3 million people behind bars is the highest on the planet.) Something is wrong here. No?
I think it would of been nicer if all the bureaucratic distribution of resources during Covid was replaced with stimulus checks to everyone each month. Think of all the Chaos that would of prevented. This turned into such a big money grab per usual during every crisis
@@nondescriptnyc Too much empathy has gotten us into this mess.
@Jessica Smith $1000? that's the price in OC for a room for rent!
During the pandemic I was considered a essential worker as were my coworkers.
Several of my neighbors were laid off or terminated.
They received enhanced unemployment and when the CDC moratorium was announced they immediately stopped paying rent.
Yet they had new appliances big screen televisions delivered to their home. They spent spent spent but none of their money went towards rent. They were surprised when the moratorium was lifted and they got eviction notices even though they were thousands of dollars in rent arrears.
Even know a couple of my neighbors that their mortgage lender offered reduced or deferred mortgage payments that they took advantage of and when that ran out they suddenly found out they had $10 or $15,000 mortgage payments to catch up. I paid my mortgage monthly all through the pandemic and accumulated no debt and not in danger of losing my home.
This shows how bad critical thinking skills are in America. They didn't understand that a moratorium on evictions is not a moratorium on rent. It's adding up monthly.
The worst too is that landlords also took advantage of paying tenants by offsetting the lack of payment by other households and putting that burden on paying tenats by heavily increasing their rent more than others.
This happened to me. I barely could pay rent, but I did. I moved my funds around to adjust for it so that (rather than food)... That money went to rent.
.....then suddenly the next year when the moratorium was over they hit me with an increase that was too much over the line. They flirt with trying to reach that line of what you can pay versus what you get paid.
It's like strangulation.
....meanwhile the people in the complex (5 other residences out of 6 in the building) do not pay, some are not citizens, some pretend to be stupid and attempt to milk the system.
.....and I am the one that has to pay for it. I can't. I barely could already. I had to adjust spending on barely enough food or so forth to cut money from that cost to put towards rent. You can't take something from nothing.
The other residences are...... /those/ types with too many kids, poor family ethos (or none), trying to validate their existence and misery through being a parasite on others.... Don't speak, or feign to know, English.....
What is hard is that I am partially their same ethnicity and it hurts. I grew up in the same situation as their kids so I know what is going on. It sickens me. I am single and alone because I refuse to be anything like those people blindly wandering through life; yet my money, taxes, insurance I have to pay, doesn't even go to (or help me)..... It goes to them.
My lack of food growing up, till now, is a direct result of them. That is why it is a HUGE knife in my heart that I barely already eat or feel guilty if I get a little good food to stay healthy - but then I have to cut my food in half for them. I was ALREADY not spending enough on food in the first place! Other expenses were cut too but not all things can be cut /as much/.
My job is also very specialized... But over time companies refuse to keep up with pay increase versus cost of living. I watched the pay over the years go from 60k, to 50k, to 30k. When the apartment company reassessed their new assessment of poverty and low-income bracket guidelines it is now so bad in this country that the median where I am quoted that my income bracket is now between the 30% and 80% low-income household average.
.......and all we got for a "raise" over time was pocket change of $0.25-$0.50 over the years. The companies wonder why everyone with experience is leaving, why those they hire can't do the work, or they can't retain any moral of those that stay. Many whom have left flat up retired. As I said, not many places have our career type. Some left thinking they can take the skills elsewhere but are stuck in the revolving door of hiring and companies lying/failing. It's purely a greed issue. I stay because I can't risk NOT having a job and being on the streets if I can't suddenly pay rent. I feel that's the end game of what the government and control freaks 50+ years in age want from all of us in the end. It's sheer greed. They want to keep us strangulated over that line....
This is a conversation no one wants to have. Unless you have some form of disability, I have a very hard time empathizing with people who have gotten evicted during the pandemic. Especially when I know for a fact I have also had previous neighbors take advantage of not having to pay their rent and being surprised that they were in arrears.
Exactly. Its called consequences.
That's what happens when a tenant all of a sudden becomes a freeloader
My heart just broke for the woman with the little 5 year old girl when she said, "...to her, wherever mommy is, is home." 😪. Thank goodness that the mom was the kind of person who, despite the stresses and housing setbacks, knew how to keep her ducks in a row and stay organized with receipts and was also fortunate enough to come under the radar of the Salvation Army. It was really good to see her moving into a new apartment.
The lady who had the zoom meeting appeared to be a squatter. Rule #1 as a legal renter is you hang on to your lease paperwork, past and present, as well as your lease payment receipts. She was given multiple opportunities to produce that paperwork and never did.
My heart goes out to people having housing challenges. Life can be difficult, for sure.
I cried too
I was waiting to see that 11 year old of hers 🤦🏾♂️ She got that pandemic money and brought that car and some crack 🤷🏾♂️
I felt like that lady was a squatter as well!
That right there.... is a great and AMAZING Mom.... Thats why the beauty is on the inside and not the makeup you see on IG... Thats a real Woman/Mom 💪🥲
And of course Im talking about the one who said "wherever Im at, thats her home..."
It was so good to see how things worked out for the two single moms! PBS, thank you for reporting the humanities! 💯
homeless breeding
My mom passed away earlier this year and she left me and my brother the family house. I'm grateful to have had the time to fix it up and move back into it. It's almost paid off with cheap mortgage. The area in Newark, NJ is relatively safe but it's where I grew up.
newark was sh&t when I was growing up someone legit blew a car in front of our house, no thanks. Also there was a drug raid that almost went south when I was in the road they legit stopped this person in the middle of the road and there was a gun. No thanks. I rather live in another state, glad to be in the woods now.
@@treeleigh634 Oh no I agree, I grew up in Newark and I wish her house was somewhere else. But it's almost paid off and my and brother are keeping it for now. It's not ideal but it's better than being homeless. LionsGate the film company is slated to build 4 studio buildings for more revenue in the city by Q4 of 2024. With the Many Saints of Newark, Joker, and the new Batman movie doing so well they like the area to film. So the area will definitely gentrify. Even it's it's just by 10% to 15% that's great because the crime will decrease by 30%. The summer is always a problem time but Newark is a lot safer then it used to be. I remember when it was like the wild wild west back in the early 2000's.
Big ups to your fox of a mom. Housing is so important.
@@roshelltannen9698 Thank you.
Lucky you pal
I remember as a kid finding that yellow paper (at the time) stuck to the door and fear I would feel. It took years for me not to feel anxiety walking to my door without fear that there would be an eviction notice on it. Even when it was no longer a threat, I would still feel that fear. I feel for people going through this especially the kids because they really have no control in this situation.
Its hard out here and I wish you all well.
No child should ever endure that, and I am sorry for your experience. I feel so bad for those people that are truly falling behind/being evicted due to the pandemic. However, there are several people that I've seen that have no idea how to manage money. I saw several people getting evicted, but had boxes and boxes of Jordan's costing over $200 each, one guy simply wanted to get his Xbox, flat screen TV, games, Jordan's and weed out the house. Not to mention some of the houses are trashed, as a landlord, how were you not inspecting your properties?! It sadden me to see people living in utter filth, with 2-3 kids running around then they have a bunch of damn pit bull dogs! There are people that truly game the system, my former neighbor for example hid behind the eviction laws, actually had baby #3 during the pandemic, got a boat load of stimulus money, bought a car, kept her nails and hair done, ate out everyday and bragged about her new designer handbags! She would openly boast to anyone about using her kids to get section8 saying, "they will put us up in a hotel before they just let us be out on the street!" I wanted to slap her! She worked are a temp somewhere for a few weeks! These laws are helping the professional moochers more than the people that actually worked. As for the landlords, they are suffering as well, you rent your house to gain income, not donations. So at this point all I can think to do is to pray for these people. Perhaps instead of just giving out stimulus money they should've set it up differently, many people didn't qualify for stimulus money, so not everyone got stimulus money and we still had bills to pay. I don't know anyone that likes paying bills; I suppose the blessing in that would be to be thankful you are able to just pay the bill. Dear Lawd help us all!
While it may have been a hard lesson at the time it is a good lesson to learn about the consequences of failing to take care of business that so many parents are failing to teach their children.
So understandable…
@@charlesphilhower1452 I'm sorry, what 😂
@@jasmineshelton759 Do you think children should be insulted from the consequences of irresponsibly. How exactly do you explain moving a whole family into a small motel room if you never explained the concept of responsibility and the consequences of not taking care of business. To many children are being taught entitlement without responsibility. It shows by the small percentage of USA student going into the stem fields or learning blue collar skills that require hard work, technical skills and pay well.
I was upset at the lady with no supporting documentation. Why would you go somewhere when you know you have a meeting scheduled? Get your stuff together and defend yourself! Nobody is going to do it for you and your word means nothing.
Yeah she was dumb. She knew her appointment was at x time.. so do it right duh
I agree! She knew better.🤷🏿♀️
She has a more expensive phone than I have. I go with less because I have to be fiscally responsible.
The cameraman could have aked, do you have your lease paperwork and canclled checks or money order stubs?
@@2005deluxe That's not there responsibility lol, she is an adult. I guarantee if he told her she would still screw something else up.
The first lady was smart. She got a storage quickly. I like how the judge is very descriptive and communicating with the plaintiffs.
A slave marketed as a judge? Which one?
I own properties , and not once have I raised the rent to make it so that my people
Had to leave. It was fair market increase before the pandemic. Also , my tenants made sure to pay on time. I have the best tenants , and I show my gratitude by making their homes comfortable and a haven.
Raising rent is okay as long as it's small increments but what is going on now is unbelievable. I have seen rents go up 300 - 500 a month. When you have people who are barely able to make the rent as it is and then they raise it by this, forget about it, they are out on the streets.
Printing money has consequences landlords are facing rising costs too.
@@rjmurphyo0 that’s not your landlords problem. They run a business. It’s your job to provide for yourself.
@@dcg590 you are out of touch, you are telling me that someone gets the rug pulled from under them by rent increasing $300/month and that's your business? Apparently, you must think that $60,000 a year jobs just grow on trees and boom get the rent raised and then with in the next week, you already have a job paying you much more money. So if I came to you tomorrow and said I want 20k a month more for rent and you are going to say, well I just need to provide for myself better? good luck on finding that job and good luck finding a cheaper apartment when there isn't any
When your property taxes cause you mortgage on the properties to go up $300 what do you do then? Landlords saw 200-500 increases in their mortgages, which means the rent goes up. Its that simple
I own two properties, these encompass my side income, when COVID hit, my tenants still had jobs, but I reduced the rent for the entirety of quarantine and didn't bother collecting any late fees for that time. In my experience a happy tenant is a loyal tenant, they treat the property properly. Now that everything is almost coming back to normal, I raised the rent back to its original rate, I assumed my tenants would leave, but they were compliant.
The main issue is that many of the landlords, that property is their main source of income, so yeah when a tenant looses their job and can't pay basically means that the landlord doesn't get any income either.
For me this stuff is a side hustle, so I can take a hit like this.
Very nice of you. I would have maybe done that a few times but not for an entire year or longer. As you said, landlords have bills to. Would you willingly take a $5-10 an hr pay cut at work though because the CEO of the company you work for said he made less in profits? I doubt it.
Wow you’re such an angel
You can’t show up to court late without a lease and expect things to go your way. It’s sad but that’s how life works.
I suspect the issue is basic literacy. At the end of the call, the woman stated that she did not understand what the judge had said. As a former high school teacher, I can tell you that a large swath of the public are functionally illiterate. In the schools where I taught, knowing how to read and write was seen as being "white" and students that really did want to learn found themselves physically assaulted.
Taking a pic of rent agreement, rent receipts, and other important documents, etc.has helped me
Yep. I suspect she she lied and was never actually on the lease. Either that or she failed to take her court appearance seriously. Regardless, her landlord should not be expected to provide her a free place to live.
This is why you need to pay via bank transfer with the info of whar you are paying. This has helped me numerous times!
This always shows up on your statements. And it is Proof enough!!!
People should EDUCATE themselves. WHEN WILL MOST LEARN?
@@zianeshkasparen4358 that paper trail can save you a headache.
Frontline has the best documentaries , hands down. I've never seen anything but perfection from Frontline. Thank you for uploading these. 👍👍
You knew that your rent wasn't paid well before you got the 24 hr notice.
@richie bordelon And she had time for a manicure and to have her braids done. She hid behind the moratorium and used the rent money for everything else. I bet she owed back rent before the moratorium which is why she was one of the first evicted. I wonder how long until she is back at the Salvation Army playing the entitlement card when she gets evicted again.
I think the 24 hour notice comes after all the court stuff. If the judge rules in the favor of the landlord you typically get 24-48 hours to vacate. At least that's what I found out.
@@cottoncandydaydream it takes multiple rounds of court and court orders to pay for it to finally come to that.
Agreed, it wasn't a shock to come home to a notice on your door. The problem is they kept playing victim and thought they would receive pity. Don't count on pity from others. Get up and figure it out. It's not easy but you have to.
Yeah you get a minimum of a week, because they schedule the lock out a day or two before the month is over. You had court before that.
As a teen I remember when me and my mom was evicted, all our things thrown in a dumpster when I came home from school and I had no idea what was happening at the time. I remember sleeping in the no working car we had in the apartment parking lot with my mom. My heart goes out to both tenants and landlords tho.. the prices to keep afloat are just unbelievable now
@@sandrazollman550 I remember when Rent for and 1 br was $375 and 2 bedroom $475 that was 21 years ago when I first move out.
I was only making $7 an hour and I didn't have no children at that time.
This is why you need man and woman together providing for the family, this single mammas crop needs to go asap
@@sarahsimpkins1311I am curious to hear where were you renting a 1 br in 2001 , for $375? My first apartment in suburbs of NY was $1000 a month, my weekly pay was about $600 net. So almost 2 weeks work for rent.
@@cikosphysicaltherapist6017 that's because you lived in the big city.
I didn't live in a big city like New York I was living in the Midwest Wichita Kansas my home town back in 2001 rent was still cheap around that time.
And yeah I was only paying $375 for an 1 bedroom apartment it was decent too.
Now 20 years later them same apt are Running Between $800 and $900 now.
@@mrcassonova1 Finely! Someone has went and said it! Give yourself a hand because you just nailed the problem with 90 percent of this country.
I have to go to bed but want to view this documentary. My hope is that it will be available for viewing online here. I'll check tomorrow. Prayers for everyone going through difficult times. 🙏
New Frontline episodes are always viewable for free on the official channel.
Thanks ❤🙏
This is so heartbreaking and it’s not getting any better.
I can't and won't speak for anyone, but we do know there were alot of folks gaming the system and had funds to pay something each month but chose not to. Especially when the unemployment relief was bumped up by 600 a payout. I was laid off as a temp worker because of covid and I made sure the extra money I received through unemployment went to my bills and rent. Priorities first.
I hear you. Unfortunately there are some renters and tenants that do try to hustle the system. I'm not trying to be mean or non sympathetic in any way shape or form, but that woman had her nails, toes, and hair done...maybe she worked in a salon or had a friend that would do that for her super cheap. I'm not trying to judge. I get it we all need to be pampered a little, but if she came out of pocket for that, she should be able to pay something or at least try to come up with some kind of deal with the landlord. Again I'm not trying to come off that way, but if I was a landlord and I was facing foreclosure due to lack of payment and I was facing loosing my property...I see that...then I would feel some type of way. Why should a landlord struggle while the tenant lives large off my dime. We all have our financial wows but fair is fair. Honesty, willingness, compassion, and mutual ground goes a long way. I was evicted during the pandemic. Luckily I was able to purchase a home, mind you while I paid my rent the whole time during the pandemic and my bathroom sink was not being repaired (when washing our hands was the biggest protection against covid ). I felt I was being evicted due to greed. The eviction hold bought me time (still paying my rent well before the fist every month also while I took a pay cut and people on unemployment were making bank) and I used my stimulus for the down payment for my new home (although luckily I had already been working on my credit). Mind you I could only afford something out of state 9 hours from my loved ones and friends, but to me I was in survival mode. I was fortunate enough to find a decent home with enough rooms so that my said friends and family will never have to worry because I will open my home to them. I fear for the future. Not many people seem to have morals and values anymore. No more love and it's sad. What are they going to do when the recession comes or dear I say a depression. We all know history repeats itself.
Very true. I know everyone didn’t play the system but I saw so many that did
Oh absolutely. As a renter, I do not have any respect for people who take advantage of their landlords. They make it MORE EXPENSIVE for paying tenants to find a place to rent and live. The truth is they are hurting themselves and other renters by screwing the landlord over. There were numerous programs and charities that offered help paying rent. Honest tenants would approach the landlord LONG BEFORE not paying rent.
Some even had their landlords give them information and paperwork to apply for funds from their states and federal help for rent relief and many didn’t even bother to fill them out of inquire
Yeah.. I spent all of mine on drugs. All of it
I NEVER thought I would ever be in this position. I was evicted from my apartment 2 weeks ago. My husband left me for another woman. I couldn't afford the rent on my own. I appealed the eviction. Because they were scheduling court hearings and not notifying me. I was paying half of the rent. But they eventually stopped taking my money. My apartment complex's lawyer appealed the appeal. I lost.
The morning of the eviction, sheriff gave me 5 minutes to grab what I can. Cussed me out. Threatened to arrest me for trespassing when I kept trying to go in and grab more of my stuff. My apartment was on the second floor. I parked across the street and watched how they threw all of my stuff over the balcony. Like it was trash. I just sat in my car and cried.
Not your landlords problem you can’t pay.
@@dcg590 🤬🤬🤬
@@dcg590 never said it was their problem. However, these situations could have been handle with more compassion. I was sharing how I ended up in this position.
You should go sit in your local eviction court. I guarantee you that your rude attitude will change. The vast majority of people being evicted are black women with children, elderly people, and disabled people who can't work with very limited mobility.
I'm sorry no human being should go through this I have gone through homelessness with kids and is very scary 😔
I cannot believe the meanness in the first reply to your comment. Your story hurt my heart, then seeing that just stabbed me. I hope you experience God’s grace and love from here on out and that only the best comes to you in Jesus’ Holy Name, 🙏
In October 2022 time ran out for me staying in the apartment I had been renting since 2009. Fortunately, I had time to move my stuff to storage. The only things I left behind were my mattress and tv entertainment stand. Getting evicted is one of the most stressful and embarrassing things a person can deal with. I was lucky that I had enough time to clear out my place and leave with dignity. Some people get their stuff thrown out onto the curb for all to see. That is the worst way to go. My heart breaks for anyone who had to leave their home in disgrace.
I'm currently renting a room in a 5-bedroom home and am in the process of rebuilding my life.
I hope everything works out for you. Stay strong, focused & healthy. You will be fine. 💙💕
I've been evicted twice before I know that feeling. But rebuilt my life with God's help. Just take it little by little. You got this.
Those evicted with their stuff on the curb knew it was happening. It shocked you but it wasn't a shock for them.
I applied for that rental help because I needed rent relief. I waited 1 year. I called customer service. They would just say that my application was IN REVIEW. And, I got, after 1 year, about $150 to help pay for an electricity bill. They never gave me the rent relief. Don't wait for help. Stop borrowing money from this country and use cash. When we need help, there is no help!
Gives me chills as I know someone that was evicted 2 weeks ago. Herself, Husband & 2 Children. They gave away their 2 Pups…living in Van/tent
So sad but America is the Richest Country but sends Billions of Tax paying Dollars to other Countries Only for the people From this Country that Needs helps Get Nothing...
@@mslove7798 Correction, we send TRILLIONS.
Ha ha.
@@mslove7798 it’s been corrupt for decades. People shoulda been in the streets in the 1980s. Only The People can force the greedy to the ground.
they should have taken their dogs with them. So many animals cant find homes and getting put down
I remember going through evictions as a child, such a horrible feeling. I pray for the parents out there who really try to keep a roof over their children’s heads, keep holding on.
Jobs can be found but they don't last so you get evicted.
@@crand20033 if you can't afford the rent, don't rent, find some other place to live.
@@drmidnight2419 I already bought a house and subsequently got fired within 2 months.
@@crand20033 rent the house to make the payments.
@@drmidnight2419 Then where would I live? In my car?
I had been on the streets, homeless, since just before 2020. After a devastating tornado ripped through the homeless camp where I and others were staying, I had enough. It wasn't until November of 2020 that I finally reached out to The Salvation Army for help. They were able to quickly get me into a motel room under the Rapid Re-House Program. In August of 2021, my worker applied me for Section 8; I was approved in October. In June of 2022, I was moved into an apartment that I had found that wasn't on Section 8's housing list. Luckily, the apartments that I'm in has people on Section 8, so it worked out perfectly. I wouldn't be in the position that I am today if it weren't for The Salvation Army and other nameless organizations that have helped myself and others in the last few years.
Sounds like you are "making a comeback". Good stuff. Peace, good health, and prosperity to you.
@@jonkallas7326 Thanks Jon!
No mention of a job? You know, paying your own freight?
@@mickjohnson3387 I didn't think that mentioning that in on SSI was anyone's business. I also have Multiple Sclerosis. Still, that's no one's business. The fact that you want to complain about me not mentioning anything about a job, only suggests that you care more about someone being employed rather than being happy for their situation. How someone makes money is a private matter. I also do freelance journalism on the side. How would you like it if I complain about you? You offend me.
@@tommyclineweaver Amen. Bless you Sir.💖
Unfortunately there were a lot of people who had the ability to pay but took advantage of the fact that they didn't have to. I knew of a few people who straight up said they were going to take that time to save up their money and were going to pretty much ride it out as long as they could without paying anything even though they were working from home and never lost any money.
Exactly! Much of the time this is what happened.
This is WHY anytime there is tax paid subsidies to assist anyone in a national crisis, and this WAS a crisis, there Most be strict guidelines AND Trained federal workers who impliment the distrubation of tax funds. That if and when fraud is f8ound that the scamners get jail time abd upon release must pay back the taxpayers/government.
This is all anecdotal evidence. What’s the % of ppl that “took advantage “? Do you know? I’ll assume you don’t. I’m most people were and are legit smelt struggling under no fault of their own. Let’s think critically here…
I also know more people than not, took full advantage. Instead of using their stimulus checks to pay rent/mortgage, they went out and bought tvs, motorcycles,etc.- it was also insane to give unemployment of $600 to everyone, even if they had only been making $200 as a waitress. I still don't get how all those already on assistance, getting help with rent, food, medical, etc were given even more. How is that fair to people who legitimately work their butts off, lost businesses, etc??? this entire thing was a nightmare. All that "free" money will severely affect us and the next generation into the future, those of us that work and are not on assistance,that is.
I understand asking for help during a crises for a short time period as you get your life back on track, but tax payers supporting all these people for years on end? why should we be responsible to support others based on dumb choices they made? or because they are simply lazy, find excuses and reasons they can't work.
Those who are disabled who can't lift heavy things, etc should be given jobs from home on the computer or something. We all have that disabled neighbor who goes shopping every day, someone's several times, and have no issues bringing in bags and boxes Amazon leaves on their porch. Why aren't they working shopping for other people? those blessed with cars can be doing deliveries, giving rides, etc- I just don't get this victim mentality talking over America.
Don't keep having kids if you already struggle with the one or two you already have. Just simple common sense.
I can barely support my own family working 3 jobs and won't be forced to support yours as you sit on your butt. More and more people waking up and just stop paying taxes.
@@sbrnation7090 If you look into this a bunch more, you will find out how big of a problem the misuse was during this time with all the programs etc.
My family was evicted from our home when I was a senior in high school. I moved out with a relative before it actually happened because I was too embarrassed to stay and wait for the sheriff to show up. I’m an adult now and to this day I worry about “can I really afford that?” I can, but I’m very hyper vigilant about money and housing. Very sad stories I feel for anyone going through this and who experienced it in the past.
I wish others realized the same thing, thats how you have to do it. I feel for anybody who is struggling but stealing is not the answer, whether that means you mug somebody to afford that surgery you need or steal shelter from somebody with the help of government.
...as a parent I would NEVER put my children in this position.
PS love your name, lol!
Grew up as kid getting evicted all the time. Parents refused to work and sat on their hands. Unfortunately we learned the same lessons in life... can I afford this? We learn not to put ourselves in these situations. People are irresponsible and terrible with money, make poor life decisions that add up to be evicted. It is much easier to place blame on the govt, landlords, shitty bosses etc, then it is to just go out and win.
@@zackb1981 I just have to go you a big AMEN for your comment! That’s right! Go out and WIN! It’s not easy at all, but majority of people could make it happen. Many sit on their butts, are lazy, or make poor life decisions and play the victim.
Been there myself , I think my mom having alcohol issues and ptsd from surviving two bullets in her head maybe but I remember walking in the cold of nights my brother and I along with her trying to find a shelter or church just to get warm etc but my mother wasn’t responsible , sometimes I am still angry at all she’s done but , I’m trying to forgive I must bcus it’s holding me back and we all make mistakes in life I just wish it hadn’t , my heart does go out to all those that are legitimately trying , from formerly homeless many times to blessed with a roof right now but I don’t and can’t forget my past . We are mostly all living from check to check. Bravo to all the ppl trying to sort out and help , and to the ppl that dispose of ppls property in such callousness they will find hardship though I truly don’t wish it but ppl still deserve some respect. Wen I was evicted I had my lease and the lawyer said it would hurt my eviction , I don’t know why I listened but wen u have such little time to pack up 14 years of living it’s hard to think . I lost everything including my pride after the lawyer took my money and said I was now indigent. Also once u are down on your luck a lot of ppl prey on it :(
I'm so glad Ms. Hatcher and her daughter managed to get the apartment, little girl is adorable and I wish them all the best.
Pay the money you owe....no exceptions. Most people's money problems are not how much they make but how much they spend. Deal with it.
blacks always want to live freely
@@henrymckay9205 and if they can't deal with it, I heard in Canada they are now starting to eliminate these people because they can't support themselves and are a drain on the world.
This may start here too.
@@henrymckay9205 And you know that's their problem too because you're clairvoyant? I'm just glad that he child is being taken care of! Deal with it.
They're deadbeats wanting others to support them.
I'm retired military. If the government spent as much on homelessness as they do on weapons and wars. There would be no homelessness!
Yessir!! Finally!! I Thank you for your service sir!!! And may God Bless you 🙏!!! In Jesus name, Amen 💜
No, but you'd have 10 buck a gallon gas instead of 5!
@@joeymonroe9504 I’d be ok with $10 gas if it meant no one would be without safe and adequate shelter.
I'd love to Bless and sing fer ya sometime. I'm an unexpected singer, I make mines as I go along, I do steal other artists beats n tones n stuff, don't care, but the words are all mine love, Alice's restaurant xx
I couldn’t like this enough! 👏🏾 👏🏾
I can’t help but think all those BILLIONS AND BILLIONS AND BILLIONS of dollars being sent overseas should be going to help these people. Shame on our government.
Yo momma
yep. keep voting for biden.
@@trybebill7865 well any democrat!
Elections have consequences
I was evicted from my home during the pandemic & while I had covid. Was very bad... but I praise God I'm doing better now. This is very sad.
I feel bad for the tenants but the landlords depend on the income and you can’t expect for them to pay your rent.
I am so glad they covered the small landlords. As one myself, it was hard on us too. I have a two family home. I live upstairs and I rent out the bottom floor. This was the only way that I could afford a house. Now, I am lucky because my tenant is Section 8. So if he is out of a job, his rent gets paid. We are both covered. I feel for tenants because rent is so ridiculously high. Most people don’t get paid enough to cover rent and other necessary costs.
We had a rental duplex in the early 2000s. Was fine at first, rented to respectable people. Then my hubs lost his job( the big income). The rents paid the mortgage on the place, but not much else. One half decided not to pay rent anymore, he was a cop. He was saving for a down payment on a house, and it took him 5 months to leave. This put us in arrears on the duplex, we had to tell the other super nice couple they had to leave. We gave them a 90 day notice. We told them they could take all the appliances if they wanted. I felt like such a crud throwing people out of their home. This was 2010, the unit was sold back to the bank. I have another duplex situation now, i live in one half. not really counting on extra income, but trying to get sec8 approved for my relative that lives in it. Just in case.
@@cherylcook1942 Unbelievable about your cop tenant not paying for 5 months! How did he even qualify for a mortgage loan...? Hopefully you were able to report him to the credit reporting agencies? He didn´t deserve a mortgage loan after doing that to you! It´s true, lots of people don´t even think in terms of the small landlord needing to pay high costs. One thing that strikes me the most is the importance of communication in all this. If tenants keep communicating with their landlords, that makes things so much better, (at least it should help) Just to stop paying & not trying to work out a plan with the landlord seems like a really bad way to deal with it. You sound like amazing landlords, giving your good tenants 90 days notice & allowing them to take the appliances! That´s so kind. Plus you felt awful at the same time through no fault of your own.
too many kids, not enough working room mates.
That’s the tough part. Anyone with a heart has empathy but when your renters are just taking care of the mortgage it gets pretty tough. Especially when you lose your job too because of COVID…Then empathy goes out the window because your credit is being ruined…
@@cherylcook1942 so basically you are trying to get handouts for “ family “ to pay your house payment. That money comes from people like me paying taxes
Is your rent too outrageously high? If so let's talk about it!!! I noticed a trend of rent creeping up higher and higher and apartments homes are not getting upgraded any nicer. Price gouging at its finest.
That 24 hr notice was not the first she heard of that eviction. No eviction happens in 24 hrs. There had to have been paperwork filed... a court date...
Amazing! Frontline docs are always the best. The lady and her daughter speaks volumes. It's incredible how resilient kids can be. I know some people that were evicted from their homes b/c they could not pay. I have 6mths of emergency savings just for situations like these. I volunteer at the homeless shelters to help and to keep me grounded. It's a humbling feeling.
Sometimes Frontline can get a little too liberal at times.....and that gets me mad as they need to just present the FACTS.
@@dancalmpeaceful3903 They are presenting Facts! What are you dissatisfied about? You must be talking about Fox. That's the one that can't tell fact from fiction.
Absolutely have a huge emergency fund, may need more than 6 months.
@@dancalmpeaceful3903 Agree. If my tax dollars go to help fund PBS - I better get more middle of the road point of view - not just the liberal “I’m a victim” b.s.🧐
Why couldn’t that lady and daughter stay with the Grandmother for a while? Save that money instead of blowing $99 per night….that’s plus taxes I bet. Not sustainable.
People are judging people in this video but with increased rental prices now many people are barely able to pay rent. In my area my rent was $939 for 3 br townhouse, I looked to move rent was now $1200 to $1800 for 3 br townhouse. My heart goes out to people who are struggling.
We didn't just raise rents for no reason, my property taxes, insurance, maintenance, and water costs have all increased like never before. Property taxes alone went up 14%!
They jacked up property taxes these last couple of years. You should blame the county for being so greedy.
$2600 A MONTH for a 1bedroom apt in oakland with the greatest amenities ever... "we can watch homicides from our balcony, drug addicts shoot up,, converters get cut from cars and the police do nothing". Let's trade places
what is the landlord's fault for this, if they don't pay they have to leave, but they make things difficult ,, landlord pay taxes we are not the government
God bless your area, my area is at about $3000 to $5000 by NYC
My heart breaks for all these people, I do hope they are able to sort their issues. GOD bless them
does yr heart break for landlords who cant cover property mortgages due to nonpayment of rent? i hope so. its not only the tenants who suffer& lose
@@QueenSlime007 by heart break for all I mean ALL I am a landlord myself and I know the consequences of tenants not paying but I also know what it's like to receive an eviction notice with no where to go
I drove around and noticed most of the houses had 3 to 5 vehicles. Some even more. It's good to have relatives help each other out. I feel so sad when no one can help some people. What will they do. Praying for them
I watched this on PBS this past week and it was so touching seeing each person's struggle with the eviction process.
What’s touching about it they had months to save up money but chose the lazy way. Out What’s going to happen when the government cuts off all the help…? Reality is get a job
@@sylvialucarz7131 don’t be so mean
@@migomigo2595 I never was trust I’ve been without a home so I know the ins and outs and a lot of these people are just trying to beat the system or just are content with their life on the streets
The 43 year old could have moved in with parents, was never at risk for homelessness
Help for homeless $Ambie9514
I’m so thankful to my parents. Both of my sisters have faced evictions, and they always knew they could stay with my parents until they got on their feet. I personally have never been evicted, but I definitely have empathy towards it. Such a humiliating thing that stays on your record, and psyche. Luckily my niece and nephews don’t remember or give much thought to what their moms had to go through
Ah yes, for those of us blessed with our parents, a warm fuzzy feeling that we can always go back to mom and pop. We will always be their children, I bet my mom would take me in even if I was 60.
Getting evicted is a problem. Pay your bills.
@@dcg590 Agreed. Make sure you have a place to stay. There are programs for finding food.
Alexis is so cute to me! I love how positive she tried to remain. I'm glad she was able to get her life back on track, it broke my heart when she cried in the beginning while talking about her daughter. Her daughter is beautiful.
Mrs Robinson didn't bother to show up for her life. She knew it was very important, yet didn't prepare for the hearing. Maybe she has cognitive difficulties and needed to be assigned an advocate.
It really seems that she does. She reminds me of my uncle who has a very difficult time understanding things. She really needed an advocate.
I wanna ssy I'm surprised but im bot. I see this all the time with black folk. Know something is important and be totally flabbergasted when THEYRE the ones not prepared. Where is her younger family to help her??? Everybody wants to go to grandma's house but no one wants to protect it...
@@nickolespears she had folks helping her move, so where were they when the shizz was in the fan? They waited til after it hit the wall. It looked self sabotage.
She has limited education, limited understanding what is needed. The judge speaks on a level she doesn’t understand.
That was my take on her situation. She really needed someone to run interference for her.
It's so sad it's like looking in a mirror any of us can end up like this tomorrow, as humans we fail to empathize it's like we're forced to look away and become less human
Nah not true at all, with that mindset its no wonder youre broke
There but for the grace of God... go 98% of us.
@@jonwinder6622 How did you decide that that person is broke based on their comment???
Unfortunately, that's the country we are becoming more and more. I just could not believe why they could not stay, at least for a short time, with the grandmother. If it was me, even if they had to sleep on the floor, I would have let them stay. We have become very individualistic country.
Right
One of the biggest mistakes people make is wondering if the government “cares” or not. You better care about yourself!!
Yes like its the everyone elses fault that they made stupid life choices.
@@davidgray1515 yeah so stupid of them to get laid off during a global pandemic? Why do you think like this?
No one gets 24hr notice without first being served months in advance...
The government failed everyone by forcing landlords to house citizens without guaranteed reimbursement. Property owners should not be bankrupted based on government policies.
Thank you for delivering hope along with the horror. A woman like Ms. Hatcher is an inspiration. The way she managed the crisis without it harming her little girl made me weep. That woman should be running a major corporation, not fighting homelessness.
I wouldnt let her run water.
@@pissoff234 That's pretty insensitive. I totally agree. To be in a situation like that with a child and still be calm says how much in controlled she can be in times of crisis.
I just wish she had managed to have a child with a better man who wouldn't have left her as a single mother
@@meddeck We can't know how it came to that for her and her daughter. But that doesn't mean we don't agree. 😉
@@meddeck My thoughts exaclty, SHe's so beautiful!!!
I own three rentals in a Southern California beach town. One of my tenants applied for (and received) rental assistance as soon as it became available. Another waited for a few months-I think he had a “deer in the headlights” reaction to all the chaos-but eventually applied as well. My property management company accepted partial payments from him while he waited for the relief funds to come through. (The third rental was unoccupied and undergoing massive repairs.) Fortunately, I was able to fall back on savings and my credit card when necessary. Thankfully we all made it through and are getting back to normal. The federal and state rental assistance programs had some “bugs,” but they saved many, many people from economic disaster.
That's California. California has been very good with the eviction moratorium and rental assistance program.
@@kisha4040 It has indeed.
I was part of the rental assistance programs and proud of helping many people keep their apts
Awesome & I'm sure that feels great. I always feel so good to know that I helped someone.
Sad but truth. We need to see documentaries like this. FRONTLINE you got the ball out the stadium congratulations on well documented American issues, now I am hook thank you for uploading today is the third day I am watching all source of your docuemtanries.
I was evicted 15 years ago when I was 16, my dad had just died of cancer in september and the landlord threw us out on the street with a 24/hr eviction, even though we paid rent just fine. I don't want my kids to go through the same thing
😒 so he just kick you out for no reason?
Be a home owner with a paid off house. Create generational wealth to protect your offspring from housing issues. That's the best solution.
That doesn’t sound legal. You can’t be thrown out if you pay.😢
As a former property manager and landlord, you don't just get a 24 eviction notice. There are several notices and court before you get to this point. Landlords should've come to agreements based on PROOF that you now have less income. Unfortunately, MANY tenants took advantage and didn't pay. Now leaving what is happening, a $200 increase in rents across America!
LL here, too. You are so correct. I have to increase my rents in So Cal higher than ever before. I hate to do it, but I need a cushion for when the state effs me over in the future.
Exactly,, should have thought about this when you're getting the notices for the last 6 months
That is not why rent is increasing at all
@@SailorSlay rent is increasing because of inflation. Inflation caused by handing out trillions
I thought the same thing
Great Doc PBS… balancing landlord and tenant perspectives.
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha . Little old ladies with one rental unit can f%ck off. Please move to China toot sweet.
how is it balanced? what did you learned about the struggles landlords faced?
It wasn't balanced. They need to do one of the stress and hardship this caused landlords. How many lost their homes? They have bills to pay themselves.
That is one of the most adorable and adjustable children. Also I believe a great Mother! I saw the end of the video so I know turns out well but God bless you lady! You were so kind, and positive through the whole ordeal. You are a true example! Serious joy God Bless you! ❤️❤️
Thank you, Frontline, for sharing these stories. It is sad to watch, but we need to know what is happening to our fellow Americans. My heart goes out to them.
Now do a documentary on all the landlords who lost their homes when state governments announced that tenants do not have to pay their rent.
Right
Cost of doing Business lol.
@@lordhumongus8669 The cost of doing business is things like the AC going out or needing a new hot water heater in a rental. It does not include leaches living rent free. If they can't afford the rent then need to find a better place.
@@vickieclark5931 You should talk to your Government Politicians they know all about leeches.😆🤣🤣🤣🤣
Good maybe they can get real jobs and give first time buyers s chance at actually owning instead of holding inventory hostage
Thank God my husband's elderly parents had the financial means to help my family during the pandemic. If it weren't for their loan of Ten thousand dollars we would have been homeless. My household has three adults. My son and I are disabled and unable to work. I am in treatment now and I am trying to recover and return to work. My son is still looking for a job. We also have three rescue animals- a dog and two cats.
They were paid back in full and my husband is back to work as a taxi driver.
Good of them to save the landlord's profits
@@Nicholas-f5 My husband worked and we payed rent until he was furloughed due to Covid. He asked his parents for a loan after his pandemic unemployment insurance was delayed for two years. He was finally given his unemployment and paid his parents back. As for the landlord she is in Fla. collecting rent on our apt that she hasn't updated since 1979.
@@suzanneolivar1 Wow 1979
@@Lilugh Yes our carpet and kitchen tile is from 1979. I was born in 1970. LOL
@@suzanneolivar1 a carpet that’s 40 years old? You sound like your lying 🤔
@32:55 Amen! Before throwing out a tenant in 2008, she flat out told me, "You can afford to let me stay here for 3 more months." SMDH!!
What do they know you can afford right. What if you have a medical bill ect nobody will give you anything for free.
This is so sad. As I’m currently homeless, this hits my heart hard watching others.
You eat and have a place to sleep at night every night ?
Me too Maria….We have lived in a Hotel for several years. I can’t afford an apartment in my area. I have a “tab” at the hotel because I work for a world wide well known company. All of our belongings are in a 5’x8’ storage unit that cost me $140 and month😭how is that fair. Welcome to Arizona 😔
Same. When my stuff was being thrown out. I just sat in my car and cried.
@@SongSingsSoprano
That's sucks.. I'm sorry.
I had to throw out most all my belongings when I lost my house & had to rent a small room. Restart from scratch.
@@donnarupert4926 I wouldn't call living in a hotel homeless. You have a bed, electricity, heat, AC, a bathroom and you don't have to deal with being questioned by police.
No one in this world should ever need to go through this 😞
Pay your bills and you wouldn’t 👍🏼👍🏼🤷🏻♂️🤷🏻♂️
@@JoseGarcia-cb5dz my bills?
@@JoseGarcia-cb5dz I'm 16 and i know a lot about life landlords are rich AF rent needs to be free it's not right demanding money from poor people it's like charging money to breath air. We need to demand politicians to change the law smh 🤦♂
@@swallowedinthesea11 I had it all fgured out at 16, too.
@@swallowedinthesea11 You're too young to have such sweeping generalizations. You have a right to your opinion, of course, but you need to have some perspective. SMH that you think rent should be free. Wait until you get a job, pay taxes and have to support those who think rent should be free.
At 26 minutes in, this lady really had no business being in that place. Accountability is always the best bet.
She never did produce that lease
The landlords either refuse to partipate in the programs, or receive large checks and proceed with evictions anyway. It should be enforced that once the government funds are received that they are not allowed to file an eviction immediately after.
This happened to my sister, she had just had a baby and was waiting on her student money to pay her rent since she had been laid off and was taking college classes online, the day she went to court was the day the funds were deposited and even though she had enough to pay court costs and attorney's fees they still evicted her with a 3 day old baby
@@SophieB_Ofcl its horrible. I'm sorry 🙏❤
What about the thousands of tenants who splurged their extra income but wouldn’t pay rent because they knew they couldn’t get evicted? While I am a hardcore PBS watcher, this one was badly biased. There is a whole movement and lifestyle out there of people who don’t pay their rent.
Good point-one thing I question is where did all the money go from the stimulus checks? People with children got fat checks, more money for each child. Where did all that money go instead of to rent?
They spent it on car’s, hair, nails, clothes and a bunch of BS people were getting ppp loan’s as well lol
its funny how the top comments all sympathize with these people but as you scroll down, its the people with common sense and saw what was going on. These people thought they were getting a free ride. its amazing how everyone saw free money and completely lost all work ethic. They went out and bought new cars with all the extra money thinking it was going to last forever. Now you're seeing mass repossessions and evictions. There's jobs and work out there, they just want to play victim. And now they all want to gang up on landlords. Some may be predatory but a lot have mortgages on these properties that they struggled to pay. This will be a wakeup call to these people cause they needed it.
True in Texas oilfields are always hiring …
Focusing on the 2-5% of bad apples? USA would not have to do that if you were having some kind of decent social security in place.
As a black man who grew up in a rough area and built up my life and now properties people have no idea the stress this has added on the landlords. My good tenets always contact me right away. I feel bad for kids, but I have never had a decent tenet I can’t work things out with. The ones that just don’t pay or act shocked when they get an eviction notice are the entitled ones.
Absolutely!
Facts
Exactly! I never evicted a good tenant. Only bad ones. If they let it’s get so far as to need the judge to mediate their problems then I have no problem evicting them. I have only three evictions over almost an eleven years of being a landlord.
I had a tenant like that. Most tenants would contact me ahead of time. We work something out. Like no pay rent for amount of time or when covid is over etc... no interest etc..
The group of party people. Hell they didn't even bother talking to me. I try to talk to shut me off. I told them flatly how bout free rent for a year. you move out. I don't bother taking you to court. They were like okay. I'm like we understand each other. Rest of it was history. They left in the year. Everyone was happy.
Rest of the tenants were happy.
The ones that don't pay are usually busy getting high or drunk
Sad but this will never stop! I live in a condo we have a neighbor who has 2 beds 2 baths but 12 peeps live in there. I was talking to the mom she said her kids and grandkids gave up their apt. too high and could not pay it anymore. 🙏🏽
It definitely will NEVER stop. Sad but true.
This happened to my aunt in TN. She has stage four COPD, among other illnesses, and relied on the income of her daughter to help makes end meet. When my cousin lost her job, she was evicted despite the moratorium. She ended up living in a seedy motel for more months before she got any assistance.