For Omar Lightner and his family, who live in Florida (EU), this Christmas will mean much more than a small reunion.
The moratorium on evictions in United States expires on December 31, which implies that they could be left homeless at the end of the holidays.
“We have $ 200 saved, it won’t get us anywhere. At this time. It’s the holidays,” Lightner said.
“I’m left wondering at night how I can explain to my kids that they can’t have Christmas because we have to leave this place in a few days.”
Lightner, 42, he lost his job in February as a driver in a moving company due to the pandemic.
Since then, it has been living on their savings in a motel in Jacksonville with his wife Tawanda and children Jayla, 10, Jasmine, 8, and Jamal, 6.
Your money is running out fast.
“My savings were $ 22,000 when we went to the motel,” Lightner said. “That got us some US dollars17,300. The rest is destined to food stamps. This helped a lot. But we have two children with severe autism. There are drugs and therapy to pay for. “
As the Lightners try to stretch their money, U.S. congressmen are trying to reach an agreement on a second aid bill per covid-19 of US $ 900 billion which could alleviate those most affected by the pandemic.
The package is expected to include hundreds of billions of dollars support for the unemployed and companies in difficulty, as well as for the vaccine distribution i per education.
In March, President Donald Trump signed the largest financial stimulus package in U.S. history, more than $ 2 trillion.
From this package, Lightner obtained $ 1,200 per month for unemployment. In August, these payments ceased. He has been told to be patient while the system is released.
As he continues to look for work, he is dropping his hopes on the second stimulus package. Although less than the first, it is expected to offer US $ 600 million checks and 10 weeks of unemployment benefits.
Millions at risk of losing their houses
Lightner’s biggest and most immediate concern is how to secure a home for his family.
In September, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) received permission to temporarily halt evictions to curb the spread of viruses and help those facing financial hardship.
This relief expires later this month and could affect between 2.4 and 5 million households Americans, according to the Wall Street Journal.
The Lightner family is one of those facing the eviction from January 1st. The rental has been delayed four weeks.
The man explains that as part of the motel’s eviction policy, items that are considered non-essential can be removed from his room. This week, it has been television, which the couple desperately needs to calm Jamal down, autism prevents him from speaking.
“We’re a family of five, there are no shelters available to go to right now,” Lightner said.
“My pride is gone. Now we are practically homeless. And I was always a very proud man. I worked all my life. We always had a nice house and good vehicles.”
“I know how I grew up, I had to work to get these things done. And they took me out for other people’s causes.”
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