SAN ANTONIO – A San Antonio man is worried he may experience homelessness after the federal eviction moratorium expires Saturday night.
The moratorium was first put into place in September of 2020 and was extended at the end of June, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, after a failed attempt by the Biden Administration to extend it, many are left scrambling for help.
“I don’t got no place to go, that’s the thing. I don’t have my vehicle no more. It broke, so now I don’t got it, so I don’t know how I’m going to get my stuff or me anywhere,” Esiquio Moreno, of San Antonio, said.
Moreno said if he doesn’t find financial help soon, he’ll be living on the streets.
He hasn’t been served an eviction notice just yet, but he’s already been given notice his lease will not be renewed.
Moreno said he is behind on four months of rent, and he’s not alone.
According to a recent Census Bureau study, from late June to early July, more than 600,000 Texas households said they were also behind on rent payments.
Moreno worked for a construction company in Austin, but he said once his truck broke down, he wasn’t able to make it to his job.
Now, he’s hoping he can get rental assistance from the state or the city.
The Director of Neighborhoods and Housing Services Department said in a statement that it is working to offer assistance for residents in need.
“We are tracking eviction filings closely to see if there is an increase after today while continuing to actively promote the Emergency Housing Assistance Program since help is available.”
Those who qualify for the city’s assistance program can receive up to nine months of help and right now, there is still $45 million available to residents. You can learn more here.
