LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Eighteen months into the coronavirus pandemic, thousands citywide are still struggling to pay rent.
It’s a fact some can’t reconcile as the economy continues to rebound, with businesses practically begging people to apply for open positions.
But for many in arrears, the answer isn’t simply finding a job.
Illnesses and inconsistent work schedules have caused financial setbacks and, in some cases, brought new bills.
Get help:How to apply for COVID-19 rental assistance in Kentucky
Unemployment checks never materialized, and short-term disability payments ran out before some could return to work.
As eviction cases make their way through court and renters continue to apply for assistance, we spoke with tenants about why they’re behind on rent.
Here’s what they said.
Medical leave problems
At 9 a.m. on a Wednesday, Vickie Page sat outside courtroom 308 in the Louis D. Brandeis Hall of Justice.
She’d received an eviction notice after missing two rent payments and was hoping to hear where her application for assistance stood.
Page has worked at UPS for 23 years but took a leave of absence to have knee replacement surgery.
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She said her short-term disability payments did not arrive on time to pay rent. And though she tried to explain her situation to her property manager, “I couldn’t even get a return phone call.”
“Nobody wanted to hear me, it was I was making it up,” said Page, who has since returned to work.
In court, Page learned her assistance application was still being processed.
Her case was deferred. She’ll be back in court Nov. 3.
Supply chain disruptions
Porshe Merriweather moved into her first apartment earlier this year and was doing alright at first.
Then she started losing hours at her job making parts for Ford when the plant halted production.
“It’s been like this for the last three months,” Merriweather said, “and I just can’t keep doing that.
“I’ve been there for four years. The past two years have been the worst. I applied for unemployment, but that didn’t go through. So ever since the pandemic started, I haven’t been getting anything. I’ve just been out here struggling.”
More:The money is there, but the wait is long for people in Louisville who need rent relief
Last week, Merriweather attended a rent clinic at South Louisville Community Ministries to apply for assistance.
“It’s just a hard time right now,” she said. “… My rent’s only like $560. But when you have other hospital bills and other bills coming in, it’s kind of hard to save up for that and everything else. You have to pick and choose.”
Canceled work shifts
Like Merriweather, Sharon Finley’s work hours are inconsistent.
Finley moved to Louisville from Chicago to be close to her family. And though she found work at a nursing agency, she said her employer routinely screws up her schedule.
“I go into a shift and they cancel it,” she said. “I’m not getting enough hours.”
Finley said she tried to pay her rent a few weeks late, but her apartment complex — Turtle Creek — wouldn’t accept it.
She received an eviction notice in August, and at a recent court hearing, she was given two weeks to pay her full balance or move out.
“I might not have a choice” other than to find a way to pay, she said. “I called around and a lot of places, they don’t want to take you if you’re pending or if you just went to court. It’s either pay it or live in a shelter.”
Impacts from COVID-19
Julianna Black opened a bag of M&Ms and handed them to her daughter.
She isn’t far behind on rent, she said as the pair waited for their number to be called at the rent clinic at South Louisville Community Ministries. But she wanted to get caught up as she continued searching for a stay-at-home job.
Black said she recently left a position at University of Louisville Hospital after she was diagnosed with COVID-19.
She’s since decided to home-school her daughter instead of sending her to Mill Creek Elementary, citing a rising number of coronavirus cases among students.
“Luckily I’m just one month behind (on rent),” Black said. “But if I don’t find a job soon, I’ll be two months behind.”
“I’m glad this is available,” she said of the rent clinic. “… I hope they’re able to assist everyone.”
Reach reporter Bailey Loosemore at bloosemore@courier-journal.com, 502-582-4646 or on Twitter @bloosemore.
APPLY FOR RENT ASSISTANCE
Kentucky residents can apply for assistance through one of three programs, depending on where they live.
To apply in Louisville, download an application online at StopMyEviction.org or attend a rent clinic from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursdays at South Louisville Community Ministries, 415 1/2 Ashland Ave.
To apply in Lexington, visit covid19renterhelp.org, email housingstabalization@lexingtonky.gov or call 859-280-8424.
To apply elsewhere in Kentucky, visit teamkyhherf.ky.gov.
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