Indianapolis family facing eviction when CDC moratorium expires this month
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – An Indianapolis mother is being forced to figure out how to keep a roof over her family’s head when the CDC eviction moratorium expires on Dec 31.
Emily Hernandez told News 8 that she lives in a duplex east of downtown Indianapolis. The mother said she got sick and wasn’t able to work, which led her to be behind on rent payments at the end of September. Hernandez said she logged online to make a payment and noticed an eviction notice filed on Oct. 20.
“They were not empathetic; they were very mean about it and not trying to give a chance to find a place or to even know what’s going on,” said Hernandez.
Spouses for Buying Houses Real Estate filed to meet in court in November, but the CDC Eviction Moratorium is protecting Hernandez from going through the eviction process through Jan. 1. Hernandez said she has been applying to other places to live, but hasn’t had any luck.
“Since then I have been denied time after time and I even tried going through the housing authority, and I still got denied because they don’t accept evictions,” mentioned Hernandez.
The mother would be one out of 34,000 people in Indiana who are facing eviction this year, according to SAVI, a data assessment tool that’s part of the IUPUI Polis Center.
Hernandez is hoping to find something to protect her kids.
“If I don’t get accepted anywhere by January, my kids will probably go stay at their grandma’s because I’ll probably have to end up getting a hotel or something until I get approved somewhere,” she said.
Thousands of people are relying on lawmakers to extend the eviction moratorium. Hernandez is asking for empathy and leniency from rental properties during the pandemic.
“It’s so evil and heartless, and the rules should change. There’s so many people being evicted, especially this year,” Hernandez added. “Are we just going to leave our own people homeless because they can’t get approved anywhere because eviction is on their record? I mean this is just cruel.”
Spouses for Buying Houses told News 8, “In regards to Ms. Hernandez, we are not at liberty to discuss her case, but there are extenuating circumstances outside of just the missed rent,” said property manager Lee Smith.
Hernandez said she has a lawyer and is hoping the eviction charges can be expunged from her record sooner than later.