Client Stories

“Emily” notified her HUD subsidized property of her new employment so that the management could make income-based rent adjustments. Federal law required that the property manager give Emily at least 30 days’ notice of the change in rent. Instead, however, he informed her that her rent would be increased by several hundred dollars the day before it was due. Unable to produce such a large sum so quickly, Emily was threatened with eviction and reached out to JALA.

Anticipating moving into a new rental home with her family, “Rachel” paid her deposit, first month’s rent, and fees to a person she thought was the property agent. Upon moving in, however, the police and the true property agent showed up and warned her to leave. Although she explained that she had unknowingly paid the rent to a scam artist, the property owner refused to let her stay in the home or pay any new form of rent. Confused and not knowing where to go, Rachel remained in the home and began her search for a new place to live.

“Evelyn,” 64, resorted to washing dishes in her bathtub in February after a broken pipe had left her kitchen sink unusable. She texted and called her property manager to try to get the sink repaired, but no repairs were made. Later that month, she had a stroke. From her hospital bed, Evelyn continued to try to get her property manager to repair her sink. She needed to make sure it was done before she got home from rehabilitation.