Brandie LaCasse has been waiting on rent for nearly a year. She owns three properties in upstate New York, but the single mother and Air Force veteran is functionally homeless after falling on hard times herself.
After notifying tenants they had to move out so she could move in, the tenants stopped paying rent and stayed put, she said. She and her daughter have been living out of her car and staying with friends.
“I’ve cried many nights, like thinking, ‘Where’s my money?'” she said.
Despite more than $23,000 in unpaid rent, LaCasse can’t force her tenants out because of state and federal moratoriums on evictions.
But federal money meant to alleviate such situations isn’t making it to landlords. Nearly 90% of rental assistance funds allocated by Congress has not been distributed, according to the Treasury Department.
“I don’t understand how they can give my private property to somebody to live for free. I bought that property. I fixed it up with my blood, sweat and tears,” she said.
The eviction bans were meant to protect vulnerable renters during the pandemic, but some property owners say they’ve become collateral damage.
The landlords in the Presidents Neighborhood blocks are selling their rentals they lost lots of $ due to restrictions and no rental payments. I pray the homes will be fixed up and sold to people who want to move in and live here and be part of a community we have been lacking this since so many slumlords took over this area, and the ones that are good landlords are the ones most hurt. God bless this area and the whole city we need big changes starting with a new mayor and city council.
What you talkin’ ’bout? You ‘spect us to pay our rent when we ain;ts got no job? (Oh, dat’s right……….we never did!_)