MILLIONS OF RENTERS FACE EVICTION
Economic fallout from coronavirus lockdowns still developing
Tiana Caldwell of Kansas City, Missouri, is one of approximately 40 million Americans who are in danger of being evicted from their homes by the end of the year; a direct result of the economic slowdown and massive job losses caused by the coronavirus outbreak, according to a national housing group.
Caldwell lost her job and was in treatment for ovarian cancer when she and her family were evicted — in 2019.
“We had gotten back on our feet, we were doing good, and then I got cancer … again,” she told VOA via Zoom. “So, I was actively in treatment when we were being evicted. … It was a bad experience.”
Now, unemployed and barely able to pay rent, Caldwell is organizing protests with KC Tenants, a group advocating for affordable housing in Kansas City, Missouri.
Facing eviction
The National Low Income Housing Coalition, which earlier this month announced that 30-40 million Americans face eviction in the coming months, is a group that focuses on low-income housing policy and trends, and analyzes data to create a forecast for the needs of low-income housing across the U.S.
Like most of the country, Missouri was already experiencing an affordable housing crisis when the pandemic hit.