Frontline (1983–…): Season 41, Episode 1 - Facing Eviction - full transcript
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*FRONTLINE*
Season 41 Episode 01 IMDB
> The policies that were
enacted to control the eviction
crisis were unprecedented.
>> NARRATOR: Over the course of
a year, in states across the
country, an inside look at the
housing crisis, during the
pandemic from those affected
the most.
>> There"s a patchwork of
eviction policies that vary by
state...
>> Much of a tenant"s experience
was completely dependent upon
the zip code that they lived in.
>> You begin to think about
what"s most important to you.
>> I have to visit the moral
obligation a lot more because
the legal obligation is in
black and white.
>> Small landlords say they
simply can"t afford to house
people for free.
>> I need to see that our
government cares equally about
landlords as they do with
tenants.
>> The clock is ticking for
millions of Americans who've
gotten behind on thier rent
payments during the pandemic.
>> These are people that had
jobs that felt secure.
>> NARRATOR: Now, from FRONTLINE
and RetroReport...
>> It"s been an emotional
roller coaster.
>> I don "t know how I" m going to
get out of it.
>> NARRATOR: "Facing Eviction"
[♪ ♪]
>> Yesterday, I came home with
a 24-hour notice to vacate on
my door.
I have a five-year-old, so, you
know, just trying to understand
how this is going to affect her,
knowing the pandemic has
already... affected her a lot.
(voice cracks): So, it's just
been hard.
It takes more than 24 hours to
plan out your life.
You begin to think about what's
most important to you.
Um, things that you can pack
quickly and keep with you just
in case you're not with your
things for, you know, an
extended amount of time.
Right now, our things are going
to go to a storage... um...
>> I haven't figured that out.
[♪ ♪]
>> NARRATOR: The coronavirus
pandemic put tens of millions
of Americans at risk of being
evicted.
To protect them, the federal
government ordered billions in
rent relief and a temporary ban
on evictions, first through the
CARES Act, later through a
moratorium issued by the CDC.
>> In an unprecedented move,
the Trump administration
announced a temporary national
moratorium on evictions for tens
of millions of renters who have
lost work.
>> NARRATOR: Over the course of
a year, we went to states across
the country to see how the
protections were being carried
out...
>> Time is running out to keep
families from being kicked out
of their homes.
>> NARRATOR: And how the
effectiveness depended almost
entirely on how local officials
were enforcing it.
>> And some states have put a
short-term hold on all
evictions, but protections are
hodgepodge.
>> A patchwork of eviction
policies that vary by state.
>> NARRATOR: Tenants scrambled
to understand what their rights
were, like Alexys Hatcher in
Texas, a state that already had
limited protections for tenants.
>> When the pandemic really
started hitting strong in the
United States, and we started to
see business closures and
eviction moratoriums, I just
started posting explainers on
social media, just to help
people understand exactly what
was out there and how it would
apply to them.
Those posts started to be shared
quite a lot, and so before I
knew it, I was getting phone
calls and emails and Facebook
messages and tweets and
everything else from people
all over the county asking for
advice on their particular
situations.
(phone calling out)
>> NARRATOR: Mark Melton,
Hatcher's attorney, created a
network of lawyers to help
people at risk of losing their
homes.
>> This landlord is trying to
evict her by email, that's cute.
>> By email, huh?
>> Yep.
>> The government interventions
that we've had to date have
been helpful, certainly.
But the problem with this
protection is, it's not very
effective, because it doesn't
apply automatically.
It only applies if those tenants
know about the law well enough
to sign an official declaration
that they have to give to their
landlord and the court for it to
apply.
(phone calling out)
>> Hello, is this Jane?
What's going on?
I saw your message today at
1:00.
>> Well, yes, um, I'm still
behind on my rent, but the thing
is, is, my auntie was talking
about some type of paper...
>> Mm-hmm.
>> ...that don't show us the
late fees or something.
>> Well, the late fees are still
chargeable, but, what city do
you live in?
These are not deadbeats, these
are people that had jobs that
felt secure.
And then all of a sudden, the
business that they work for is
closing or they're furloughing
people.
It was taking months to get
unemployment insurance to go
through, because there was such
an over-log of, of applicants
that the state just couldn't
process them quickly enough.
And so people were really in a
bad situation, where they had no
real options.
They can't force you to leave
your home until a court orders
them to, or orders you to leave.
>> NARRATOR: In February 2021, a
federal judge in Texas cast
doubt on the validity of the CDC
moratorium, saying it had
overstepped its authority.
>> The CDC's moratorium on
evictions is unconstitutional.
The judge ruled that while
individual states have the power
to put such restrictions in
place, the federal government
does not.
>> NARRATOR: And then,
separately, the Texas Supreme
Court began allowing evictions
to move forward.
Which left many people like
Alexys Hatcher in a precarious
situation.
She became one of the first in
the state to be evicted.
She had been a manager of a shoe
store, which closed during the
pandemic.
She lost her income and fell
behind on her rent.
>> Court documents for her
eviction case show Hatcher
filed the necessary CDC
declaration saying she faced
homelessness.
Still, this week, a judge
allowed for the eviction to move
forward.
>> Effectively, what happened
with Alexys was, the CDC
moratorium was still there.
It didn't go away.
But the Texas courts decided
that the CDC order no longer
applied in Texas, as crazy as
that is.
They started allowing landlords
to evict people at will.
>> In Texas, you have one of the
first states to challenge the
CDC moratorium, and
successfully so.
>> NARRATOR: Throughout the
pandemic, Emily Benfer was
tracking how states were
handling evictions.
>> Much of a tenant's
experience during the pandemic
was completely dependent upon
the ZIP code that they lived in.
Whether or not you stayed in
that home depended almost
entirely upon whether or not
your landlord was going to
comply with the CDC moratorium...
or a local moratorium, for that
matter... what sheriff showed up
at your door, and what judge you
appeared before.
[♪ ♪]
>> NARRATOR: There were some
judges in Texas still willing to
consider the CDC moratorium.
>> ...in the County of Dallas in
the State of Texas, the
Honorable Judge KaTina Whitfield
presiding, is now in session.
>> Good morning, everybody.
Let's get started here.
Sir, can you hear me?
>> Um, yes, ma'am.
>> Oh, okay great.
>> In Texas, a federal court
judge did state that the CDC
moratorium is not
constitutional.
I have mixed feelings about it,
because we have the tenants that
we know were affected.
I see that there is going to be
a lot of emotional cases that
will be before me.
I have to visit the moral
obligation a lot more, because
the legal obligation is in
black and white.
It does not take into account
the grey areas.
And that's the reason why I
listen to both sides, because
once you do that, that gray area
is going to be exposed.
So then is the $2,219 the
current amount owed?
>> $1,921.
>> Have you tried to...
Okay, first, I don't, you don't
have to go into your particular
circumstances of what caused
you to fall behind.
But if you would like to explain
what happened, you can do that.
>> A lot of the people who
were truly affected by COVID,
they're no better now than they
were a year ago.
We're talking about them losing
their homes, or their kids will
have to be withdrawn from
school... whatever, you know.
The stakes are high.
So if we have that type of
situation, number one, y'all
need to understand it.
You know, put yourself in their
shoes.
>> NARRATOR: Texas had started a
new program that ordered judges
to encourage landlords and
tenants to work together to
avoid evictions.
Judge Whitfield spent time
explaining to tenants that
there were still protections
available to them.
>> Right now, you're not
considered a covered person
because you haven't filled that
declaration out and submitted
it to your landlord.
Um, by what you testified to,
it sounds like this
would apply to you, but you
would need to read each and
every bullet point very
carefully and sign it, because
you have to qualify under each
one of these, okay?
You would sign it, you would
submit a copy to your landlord
and a copy to the court.
As of today, you're not a
covered person, okay?
So I would have to grant them
judgment, but that doesn't mean
that it's too late to fill this
out.
We're also going to email you
guys a list of resources.
We have a packet of financial
resources.
Okay, judgment in favor of the
plaintiff for 33-08-19,
possession and court costs.
Best of luck to you.
Go down there, make the
arrangements, pay off what you
can, and try to settle it, okay?
>> Yes, ma'am.
>> All right, thank you guys so
much, y'all have a wonderful
day.
>> You, too.
>> Thanks.
>> God bless.
>> Thank you.
>> NARRATOR: In making her
decisions, Judge Whitfield said
she also had to balance the
financial concerns of small
landlords, who were often more
vulnerable than corporate
property owners.
>> Since COVID, the mom-and-
pop... you know, "This is not a
business, I have one home that
I'm renting out, I still have
a mortgage, H.O.A. fees,
insurance, those type of
things"... I always stress the
financial assistance, and I'll
remind the tenant that this
person is still paying those
things, like, you have to
remember that.
Just, you know, because it's
hard on you, remember that it's
just as hard on them.
>> NARRATOR: Landlord Sandra
Stanley quickly began feeling
the impact of the pandemic.
Hi, George, I'm here, I'm
just checking on you to see if
you need anything... how's it
going?
>> How you doing? >> I'm good.
>> NARRATOR: She and her family
own eight rental properties
around the Dallas-Fort Worth
area.
>> Thank you for the partial
payments, and just continue
to...
Local landlords have up-close
and personal relationships with
their tenants.
We know our tenants.
We know their children.
We know what's going on with
them and their situations.
Over the course of the pandemic,
when I had to work with people
with their rent, we did okay
paying our mortgage that we had
on it, but we did have struggle
with paying our, our taxes.
Hey, Steve, this is Sandra.
I was wondering, did you get to
find a solution to the A.C.
problem at all?
We have to take care of the
properties regardless of what,
if we get paid or not.
We had A.C. repairs, we had a
plumbing problem... all that
money has to come out of my
pocket, so I went into my
retirement and got the money to
pay the taxes.
And my brother, he had his
savings, he had to go into
his savings.
In my lifetime of being a
landlord, I've had to do at
least three evictions, probably
over, over 30 years.
We try to work with people and
charge low rent so they can
pay their rent.
I'd rather have somebody pay
their rent than have eviction.
I hate doing evictions.
[♪ ♪]
>> NARRATOR: Throughout the
pandemic, the people on the
front lines of carrying out
evictions in Texas were deputies
from the local constable
offices.
>> My name is Jacqueline Lundy.
I work for the Dallas County
Constable's Office, Precinct
Five.
I'm gonna put in my first
address.
When I'm driving out to the
location, I kind of try to run
some scenarios in my head.
"Okay, if they're not at home,
fine, but if they are at home,
what is my next step?
What am I gonna do?
How am I gonna approach it?"
(radio squawks)
You don't know what state of
mind they're in.
We're in a pandemic.
People have lost their jobs,
whatever home life that they
have going on.
Their emotions could be high.
Sometimes it's, uh, you kind of
are sensitive to the situation.
You just kind of have to
compartmentalize the sad part of
it.
It is sad, for me.
I would prefer if they were not
home, but it's a roll of the
dice when they are at home, and
if they are at home, it tugs at
you if there's kids involved,
because it's not their fault
that they're being displaced.
But for the most part, it's
about safety.
You don't know who's behind that
closed door, so it's an unknown,
and an unknown is gonna be a
threat.
(saw grinding)
>> NARRATOR: Deputy Lundy was on
her way to evict a man who had
been illegally occupying a
vacant house for months.
(device chirps)
>> Just open the door.
>> We need to speak with you
out here.
>> Open the door, we're going
in.
>> He has it locked, he locked
the door.
>> Listen, we don't have time
for all this, I got...
>> Hey, hey!
(talking at once)
>> He did not give me a...
>> Give him something to
open the door.
>> Let's discuss this outside.
>> Yes, something to pull the
door.
>> I don't have a weapon on me.
>> Because I don't know what
you got inside the house.
(door rattling)
Open the door, open the door.
>> Open it, open it.
Get in there, get in there, get
in there.
Get in there, get in there.
>> I'm packing my (bleep).
You come in and help me, I'm
packing my stuff.
>> You need to step out.
>> I'm getting all my
belongings.
>> You need to step out.
>> I can't get my clothes?
>> Uh-uh, step out, let's go.
Step out, step out.
>> Taking everything out of the
house... take everything out of
the house.
Speaking Spanish...
>> Put everything right here
in the front yard, all the
furniture.
[♪ ♪]
>> Did you, did you, uh...
You got to say grace.
Okay, say grace.
>> The greatest indicators
of eviction are being Black,
being a woman, or having
children.
We know that Black people are
two times as likely to be
evicted as their white
counterparts after controlling
for education and other factors.
We know that the single greatest
predictor of an eviction is the
presence of a child.
>> NARRATOR: The day she was
evicted, Hatcher and her
daughter spent the night at her
grandmother's house.
But she was worried about COVID,
and continued looking for
somewhere else to stay.
>> Are you on the southern side
of Arlington or on the northern
side?
>> Southern.
>> Okay.
>> Good afternoon.
How could I help you?
>> Hi, I was wondering if you
guys have anything available
for maybe a week?
>> For a week starting today?
>> Possibly, yes.
>> So if you come in tomorrow,
I've got a king room available
at $99 per night.
>> Oh, okay.
>> That's a week's stay, that's
Saturday through the following
Saturday.
>> Saturday to Saturday?
>> Yes, ma'am.
>> They're so expensive.
(laughs): God.
(phone calling out)
>> Good afternoon.
Can I help you?
>> Hi, I just have a couple of
questions.
First, I was wondering if you
guys have anything that's
available for maybe a week?
>> No, we don't have anything.
We probably wouldn't be able
to get you in till Sunday or
Monday.
(phone calling out)
>> Yes, ma'am, how can I help
you?
>> Hi, so we were talking about
the, um, one-week room.
I couldn't remember if you said
it would be available today or
tomorrow.
>> Hold on, I'll check.
>> Just one adult, one child.
>> One adult and one kid.
Okay, I got you booked.
I'll see you tomorrow.
>> Okay, thank you so much.
>> This is $375, okay?
>> Yes, ma'am, thank you.
>> I'll see you, bye-bye.
You're welcome.
>> Bye-bye.
(sighs)
>> (sighs)
>> I know, we got that done,
right?
>> Yay!
>> (laughs)
>> I'm glad that I have the
daughter that I have, because
not all kids are so
understanding and accepting.
She feels my energies.
She knew something wasn't right.
She was expecting something was
going to happen, but one thing
she knows is, Mommy is always
there.
Mommy is still here.
So it must be okay.
You know?
Even though she knows her stuff
is not at home, even though she
knows we're not going back
there, she doesn't know we
don't have a home, because to
her...
(softly): I'm sorry.
But to her, wherever I am is
her home.
[♪ ♪]
>> More than 15,000 eviction
notices have been sent out to
New Jersey residents during the
pandemic, even though New
Jersey Governor Phil Murphy
issued an eviction moratorium
preventing people from being
locked out.
>> NARRATOR: Even in states
with strong tenant protections
during the pandemic, people
were facing eviction.
In New Jersey, in addition to
the CDC moratorium, they passed
their own ban on evictions for
failing to pay rent.
But that didn't cover everyone.
>> I used to work at Hello
Fresh.
But I stopped working there
because someone on my line had
corona.
Now I'm a temp, so, and a
floater.
I was only back a month and a
half, and I found out the
landlord said I was a squatter.
I mean, I just sit and worry,
for the simple fact I got an
11-year-old daughter.
(sniffles)
>> NARRATOR: In December 2020,
June Robinson's landlord went to
court claiming that she wasn't
a legal tenant because her name
wasn't on the lease, and he
hadn't received rent since
before the pandemic, even though
she said she'd paid until
recently.
>> Miss Robinson explained that
she's behind on rent right now,
like a lot of tenants are in
New Jersey.
The New Jersey governor and
the Supreme Court essentially
said that eviction cases
couldn't go forward.
But the landlord filed this
ejectment action, which were
still allowed to be filed,
claiming that June was not a
tenant here.
You're essentially filing a
lawsuit against someone saying
they're a squatter.
We've seen it happen a few
times over the course of the
pandemic, where a landlord says,
"I can't file for eviction, so
can we get them out with an
ejectment?"
It's possible that this is an
attempt to just get around the
protections.
>> I spend majority of my time
now sitting outside in my car,
trying to figure it out.
(sniffles)
Is this how I'm gonna be living?
In my car?
[♪ ♪]
(sniffles): Mm, mm, mm.
[♪ ♪]
>> NARRATOR: Before she found
an attorney, Robinson had an
online court hearing.
>> See if that Zoom thing
got downloaded.
(sniffs)
(phone calling out)
Yes, good morning, I'm
supposed to had a Zoom court
date today, and I don't have a
link or anything on my phone.
I never got...
Someone called me, like, the
fifth, I think, the fourth or
the fifth, and said I would be
getting an email so I can do
the Zoom video or something.
And that, I never got an email,
that's all was told to me.
(sniffs)
While you're here on the phone,
let me, I'm gonna go...
(sniffs)
I'm on, no, I'm, I'm...
Okay, say, Joanne, that's it?
And, um, could you tell me how I
go about setting it up, please?
Oh, don't click on it now?
Okay.
Oh, you are such a...
Thank you so, so much.
'Cause I didn't know what to do.
I have a banging headache.
Like, my head is hurting really
bad.
>> Getting overstressed.
[♪ ♪]
>> NARRATOR: On the day of her
hearing, she was running an
errand at a grocery store, and
was in her car when the
proceedings began.
[♪ ♪]
>> Miss Robinson, are you here?
>> Yes.
>> So maybe you could, it
would be, not be inappropriate
for you to remove your mask?
So we could hear you better?
>> Oh, oh, maybe, okay.
>> Oh, yeah, that's much better.
>> Okay.
>> So before we go any further,
please raise your right hand.
Do you swear or affirm the
testimony you are about to give,
as well as the testimony you
have previously given, will be
the truth, the whole truth, and
nothing but the truth?
>> Yes.
>> Okay, thank you.
Now, on January the 6th, I heard
testimony and reviewed the
documents.
And I concluded that whoever was
residing in unit two was not
there with the permission of the
property owner, and that anyone
who was in that unit needed to
vacate the premises immediately.
So explain to me now what it
is that you're asking.
>> How am I squatting when, um,
the apartment was rented to me
since July 2019?
>> Have you been paying anybody
any rent?
>> Yes, I have, I've, like I
said, I mean, I'm, yeah, I
didn't, I was back a month and a
half.
And that's because I was out of
work, but I started getting
unemployment, and I was, I told
them that I would take and, you
know, catch up on my rent.
>> Is your name on the lease?
>> Yes, yes, it is, yes, it is,
your honor, yes.
>> Well, let's see it.
>> I'm in the car.
I went to the store, your honor,
to get something to eat.
I didn't know that, I didn't
bring no lease right here in the
car with me.
>> My client, who is the lawful
and legal owner of this
apartment complex, your honor,
and now we're in a position
where this person is purported
to be a lease, a lessee of this
residential apartment building,
yet has never prepared, or shown
a lease agreement, has never
presented that to a court.
>> I'm trying, still trying to
understand what is different
than what occurred when I had a
hearing in early January.
Nothing has been presented to me
today, either verbally or in the
documents provided to the court,
to enable me to vacate the
prior order of ejectment.
So, uh, good luck and, uh,
stay safe.
>> Thanks, your honor.
>> I'm not understanding...
I didn't understand nothing he
said.
Like...
So what he just said, like, this
is just over?
My, my thing is just over?
Like...
(sniffles)
(siren blaring in distance)
Hello?
[♪ ♪]
(cellphone ringing)
(knock at door)
>> Who is it?
>> So you're aware of what's
going on today, right?
>> No.
>> Your brother hasn't been
talking to you?
>> No.
>> Okay, we came by multiple
times.
We've, I've talked to you
personally multiple times.
>> I don't know why they, why he
keeps sending you on out here.
And this is a tenant-landlord
situation.
He's, I don't know why you keep
doing that.
>> Okay, we're looking at a
court order right here.
So you went to court, and they
gave a ruling, but they didn't
give you any paper before you
left?
>> No.
They did a Zoom thing, no.
>> Oh, you did a Zoom thing?
>> Yeah.
>> The reason why we were
trying to get in contact with
you is to help you along with
the process.
Because we knew a certain date
that was set, there's nothing we
can do at that time.
We were trying to help you to
try to see if you can go back
down to the court or do
anything.
Because once our hands are tied,
there's nothing we can do.
And that's why we came back here
multiple times, putting multiple
letters on your door with the
number to contact us.
Because the only person that you
need to speak with is a judge.
If the judge signs an order,
that's all you have to do is go
see the judge.
We have no control of that.
He signed the order.
>> I don't have that power,
okay?
You have to talk to a judge,
someone over me, that supersedes
me, tells me what to do.
>> So you're telling me I'm
going to get locked out of my
apartment?
>> Well, uh, the...
>> Me and my 11-year-old
daughter?
>> I don't, I don't...
>> If we don't do it today, we
will be doing it next week.
We will be doing it next week.
So whatever affairs you need,
have it in order by that date.
Because we will be coming back,
we will be posting it on the
door.
>> Okay.
I understand that.
>> So the next time we come,
there shouldn't be an issue,
right?
>> What's your name?
>> Detective To one.
>> Wait, Detective who?
>> To one... T-O-O-N-E.
We still working with you.
>> And I appreciate that.
>> We're doing everything we
can.
But what I'm telling you, once I
get another date, that is it.
All right?
So we're going to call, um...
They're not here, so we're going
to have to move forward.
But like I said, we will be
back to talk to you.
And I will call you and let
you know if I'm going to post it
and everything.
>> Thank you.
>> All right.
>> Thank you...
(inaudible)
>> All right, have a good day.
>> You, too.
[♪ ♪]
Mm, mm, mm.
>> Housing is foundational.
It, it's a pillar of resiliency
in the same way that employment
and education are.
But if you knock out that one
pillar, housing, where you live,
your home, you can't access any
of the others.
[♪ ♪]
>> Tenants are protected during
the pandemic.
They don't have to pay the rent
and their landlords can't evict
them.
>> NARRATOR: While almost every
state and many cities passed
their own eviction moratoriums,
California had the longest-
running ban.
>> Small landlords say they
simply can't afford to house
people for free.
>> NARRATOR: In Los Angeles,
Dyan Golden said her upstairs
tenant stopped paying rent.
>> When the pandemic first
happened, in March, I was like
everybody else, like, what does
this mean?
And as far as being a landlord,
I didn't project or see
anything, I didn't put anything
together in terms of eviction
moratorium.
What is that?
I mean, none of that came to
mind.
A matter of fact, the first
month that my tenant didn't pay,
I think it was in March.
And, and I told him, I said,
"You know, if I were working, I
wouldn't, either, because
everything's just so uncertain."
Next month, you know, he paid
and then he skipped again.
No problem.
I trusted him.
I figured he'll pay me back.
I didn't know if or when my
tenant was gonna pay rent.
So it's like having your hands
tied behind your back, and
someone can just take and do
whatever with your life, with
your livelihood.
There's so many people that
think that landlords are bad.
That landlords are "rich."
They have a lot of money.
That landlords should not make a
profit.
That it's not a business, you
know, and, and that's why we're
the scapegoats.
In the end, I lost 11 months'
rental income.
I have to eat.
I have to get my medicines.
Plus, now, I've got legal bills
because I need an attorney to
know, how do you evict somebody?
What, what do I do?
[♪ ♪]
>> NARRATOR: As the pandemic
stretched on, tenants
were falling deeper
and deeper into debt.
>> When the schools shut down,
this is when it all started for
me.
My son was no longer to attend
in-person schooling.
And that's where I was unable to
work during the week, because
now I'm staying home and doing
the home schooling.
And our restaurant went down to
take-out only.
Since this, it's been a journey.
It's been an emotional
roller coaster.
Since September, I have not paid
my rent, so I'm looking at
eviction if I don't have 25% of
my rent paid.
But even if I do have that part
paid, I'm still going to owe
about $7,500.
Um, so where's that going to
come from?
Every couple of months, I get
notices on my door from the
apartment complex letting me
know the balance of what I owe
at that time, and every time
that hits my door, it just
brings me to another place.
And I just, I cry, because just
seeing that rack up is just
difficult, because I don't know
how I'm going to get out of it.
This apartment means a lot to
me.
It's our safe haven.
It's something that I've worked
so hard to keep and provide for
us.
So it's just not an apartment.
It's our home.
>> NARRATOR: To help tenants
like Teresa Trabucco, who were
behind on their rent, Congress
had allocated billions of
dollars, one of the largest
such efforts in history.
>> Congress passed federal
rental assistance, and that
ended up amounting to over $46
billion, which was the amount
the landlord associations and
apartment associations said they
needed to make themselves whole.
>> NARRATOR: The program was
meant to provide rental relief
payments to tenants and
landlords, and cover back rent,
late fees, and utility costs.
>> The same way that we've never
had a moratorium before, we have
never had the national
infrastructure for rental
assistance.
So, states were ill-equipped to
actually disperse it to
communities.
In fact, by the end of June
2021, only $3 billion of $46.5
billion had been distributed to
the landlords who needed it and
to prevent the housing
displacement
of those millions of tenants.
>> See you guys.
[♪ ♪]
We had three tenants that
stopped paying altogether.
And it became quite a burden
now, because we're talking about
ten months, 11 months later now,
and the tenants owe me $39,000
and change, and that's a very
large sum of money that affects,
you know, everything about the
building.
In California, although the
governor has proclaimed that,
that there's rent relief, and
rent relief is coming, and we've
had to apply.
And we've applied for the three
tenants, but unfortunately, due
to some of the administrative
difficulties in complying with
the application process, the
moneys still have not come
through.
>> I applied for several
different rental assistance
programs throughout Riverside
County, and each program, I felt
like it was just a dead end.
They kept referring me to
another place.
And then the apartment manager
submitted the paperwork for me
to get started on the rental
assistance program.
And two weeks went by.
No check.
Third week, I'm, like, "Okay,
it's been 15 business days,
still no check."
I was, like, "It's one hurdle
after another, like, it's not
going to come through."
The options I'm thinking about
would be possibly to move in
with my sister and rent a room
from her, or my parents, move
back in with them.
But, you know, at 43 years old,
you shouldn't have to be going
back to live with your parents,
or struggling to find somewhere
to live, or if you're going to
live on the streets.
[♪ ♪]
>> NARRATOR: Alexys Hatcher had
applied for the rental
assistance, but the money hadn't
come through before she was
evicted.
Like many states, Texas had
enlisted charitable groups, such
as the Salvation Army, to help
distribute the funds.
>> I first met Alexys, my
supervisor called me, and said
that she had watched a story on
the news about a young lady who
had been evicted from her home.
And she was a single mom with a
little girl.
I think I was mad and I was
frustrated, because I know that,
you know, evictions weren't
supposed to be happening.
>> Yay.
>> (cheers)
>> And how do you explain that
to your child?
So her story touched me on
different forefronts, being a
case manager, being a mom, and
just being a person.
My department handles court-
ordered evictions.
So we pay rent.
Now we're paying mortgages.
We're just trying to make sure
that anyone who needs the
assistance is able to stay in
their home.
I am preventing clients from
entering to a shelter, or
sleeping in a car, or having to
go and couch surf or check into
a hotel.
So we are trying to divert them
from being at risk of
homelessness.
>> You like this one better?
>> Yeah!
>> Okay, so guess what?
>> What?
>> We're going to go buy
groceries, because guess what?
>> One thing that really sticks
out was that she told me her
daughter asked what was going
on, and she told her that their
house was broken and that they
had to find a new house.
>> Nice and lovely!
>> She didn't want to tell her
baby that they were being
evicted, and so she just told
her that, "The house is broken,
we're going to find another
house, and it's an adventure."
And I just think, the way she
handled it with her daughter,
I don't think children should
have to worry about where
they're going to sleep, never.
Or what they're going to eat.
>> Spaghetti?
>> (speaking gibberish)
No!
>> Why?
We have to get veggies, too.
Do you want corn or green beans?
Since I've been grocery
shopping, it's about maybe
three weeks.
But since all of my food ended
up in black bags, and I had to
throw away a lot of it,
this is exciting.
So, like, even though I'm in the
hotel, like, the fact that I can
go buy groceries, I can cook,
like, there's pots and pans or
a dishwasher, like, it, it gives
me a sense of just being normal.
I don't feel like I'm not in my
home.
It makes me happy.
It's just like, I don't feel
like I'm just failing, like,
you know, I feel like I'm doing
something that is normal.
Here you go.
Would you like to sit in the
chair and have it, or would you
like to sit at the desk?
>> (inaudible)
>> Okay.
>> (babbling)
>> NARRATOR: Janeen Smith
started working with Hatcher to
find her a new place to live and
to get the rental assistance
money.
>> I think with Alexys, the
difference between her and a lot
of clients, she is very
organized, and anything that I
asked her for, she had it.
"Ms. Smith, I got records.
Ms. Smith, do you want me to
drop it off?
You want me to email it to you?"
She was on top of it.
>> Hi, Erin.
I was wondering if you all had
any two bedrooms available?
Aw, do you know when you will
have something?
>> To leave a message for the
office or leasing, please
press one.
(cellphone beeps)
(voicemail beeps)
>> Hi, my name is Alexys
Hatcher.
I was looking to move in to your
two-bedroom town home kind of
immediately.
(cellphone calling out)
>> Thank you for calling...
>> Hi, I was wondering if you
guys had any two bedrooms
available.
>> It was important that she
picked a place that she wanted
to be in.
Don't just get something and not
want to be there.
Take your time, look at it.
There is a lot of resources out
there, but if you don't know or
have someone to tell you, then
you don't get the help.
[♪ ♪]
>> Hi, Randy, how are you?
Good.
I don't like to ask for help.
So, I struggled with that.
It wasn't a good feeling.
But the management company,
they really kept on top of everything
with me, keeping me informed.
I think they were rooting for
me.
Within, I would say, about six
to eight weeks, I heard back
from them.
On a Sunday night, I got that
email.
Half-tired, and I'm reading it.
And I just sat there.
And I'm, like, what?, what?
Like, this is not... I'm seeing
too many numbers there.
It covered all of my past due
rent, and three months' advanced
rent, and my water and sewer and
trash was paid.
It just felt like a ton of
bricks just came off of my
shoulders.
(crying): And it was, like, I
wasn't losing my home.
And Liam and I had a place to
stay.
So it was such a good feeling.
[♪ ♪]
>> NARRATOR: Of all the states,
California received the most
federal rental relief... more
than $5 billion.
Dyan Golden and many other landlords
ended up receiving money for the
rent she missed.
And across the country, the
money was eventually distributed
to millions of people.
[♪ ♪]
>> It supported people at a time
of extreme crisis.
It made it possible for them to
go back to work and prevented
the poor health, the anxiety,
the mental health breaks that
are associated with eviction.
>> NARRATOR: Emily Benfer went
on to work for the White House,
helping implement the rental
relief plan.
>> The communities that were
able to distribute rental
assistance had lower
displacement rates.
They had lower filing rates in
eviction courts.
So, all of these interventions,
these measures, they're
important and they matter.
>> NARRATOR: Alexys Hatcher's
rental assistance money came
through and ended up helping her
pay for a new apartment.
>> That one's full of clothes.
Today's moving day, yes.
It's really exciting.
Even though I'm probably going
to be really exhausted by the
end of the day, it'll be worth
it, because we're not in a hotel
or at my grandma's house.
>> Mommy, look what I found!
>> What'd you find?
>> It is, found my, um...
>> Bubble blower?
>> Yeah!
And I found my Minnie Mouse
one, the wand!
>> It is?
>> (singing and talking)
>> Watch out, baby.
>> We've started to kind of go
through all of our stuff,
because those black bags, they
were all mixed up.
I couldn't find everything.
This is definitely not the way
it should be done, especially
the way the things are in the
bag.
It's just like throwing all of
your things out like trash.
Like, I know it's kind of funny,
but...
I mean, it's funny now.
It was not funny the day I
thought about it.
Get some toys for me
Aliyah please.
This bag is full of Christmas
decorations.
I don't know, pulling my stuff
out, it's, like, some things
have memories, so that's just,
like, a sense of comfort in
itself, is that I'm back with my
things.
>> Now, somebody will play with
me?
>> Just a second.
I'll play with you as soon as
I'm done.
>> Okay.
>> To see someone with a support
system versus someone without,
you shouldn't be surprised that
those are two totally different
outcomes.
We've got other families that
are right now living in their
car with their two kids.
>> Are you gonna buy it?
>> Yup.
>> We've got other families that
we've had to put in shelters
that are still in shelters.
You know, these are the more
typical stories when we're
talking about eviction.
[♪ ♪]
>> NARRATOR: June Robinson was
not able to provide rental
receipts or a valid lease to
prove she was a legal tenant,
and was forced to leave the
apartment.
[♪ ♪]
>> NARRATOR: In August 2021,
the U.S. Supreme Court blocked
the federal moratorium on
evictions.
(knocking on door)
>> Constable's office!
(knocking on door)
>> Constable!
>> NARRATOR: And state bans
have since expired.
[♪ ♪]
In the coming months, the last
of the government's rental
relief money is expected to be
paid out.
[♪ ♪]
>> 521.
>> (on radio): 521.
>> Go ahead and show me clear
set-out.
[♪ ♪]
That was a good day.
You know, I didn't have to
encounter the tenant being
there, and seeing the look on
their face, or anger, or
whatever the case may have been.
It's kind of heartbreaking at
time, to do it, but it is part
of the job that I signed up to
do, so, much as I hate it, you
know, I have to do it.
[♪ ♪]
>> Excuse me, Mommy, I got to
make some food for my babies.
>> Gracie, sit down and eat your
food, please.
If it was just me by myself,
like, no pandemic, I just got
behind on my rent, and my
landlord decided to evict me, I
don't think anyone would have
thought twice about it.
They probably would have kind of
made assumptions, like, "Well,
whatever she was doing, that's
her problem."
But I'm kind of glad that it did
happen in a pandemic, where
everyone is thinking about it
and talking about it, because
when this pandemic is over,
evictions are not going to stop.
There are still going to be
people that are going to need
help, regardless of pandemic or
not.
>> "Kiss me and tell me I will
never be alone."
"Kiss me and hug me t..."
>> Tight.
>> "...and say, 'I love you.'"
(smoke detector chirps)
"I never let you go."
>> The end.
>> I'm gonna let it stay right
here so I can read it tomorrow.
[♪ ♪]
additional reporting on
evictions from our partners at
RetroReport.
>>In cities like Fresno, the
threat of evictions has tenants
on edge...
>> We cannot let people
be evicted because of
nothing they did themselves...
>> Programs that help tenants
purchase their homes are gaining
traction now...
>> Connect with FRONTLINE on
Facebook, Instagram and Twitter,
and stream anytime on
the PBS Video App, YouTube or
Captioned by Media Access Group
>> For more on this and other
Front line programs visit our
[♪ ♪]
Frontline's "Facing Evictions"
is available on
Amazon Prime Video.
Help other users to choose the best subtitles
Find out @ saveanilluminati.com
*FRONTLINE*
Season 41 Episode 01 IMDB
> The policies that were
enacted to control the eviction
crisis were unprecedented.
>> NARRATOR: Over the course of
a year, in states across the
country, an inside look at the
housing crisis, during the
pandemic from those affected
the most.
>> There"s a patchwork of
eviction policies that vary by
state...
>> Much of a tenant"s experience
was completely dependent upon
the zip code that they lived in.
>> You begin to think about
what"s most important to you.
>> I have to visit the moral
obligation a lot more because
the legal obligation is in
black and white.
>> Small landlords say they
simply can"t afford to house
people for free.
>> I need to see that our
government cares equally about
landlords as they do with
tenants.
>> The clock is ticking for
millions of Americans who've
gotten behind on thier rent
payments during the pandemic.
>> These are people that had
jobs that felt secure.
>> NARRATOR: Now, from FRONTLINE
and RetroReport...
>> It"s been an emotional
roller coaster.
>> I don "t know how I" m going to
get out of it.
>> NARRATOR: "Facing Eviction"
[♪ ♪]
>> Yesterday, I came home with
a 24-hour notice to vacate on
my door.
I have a five-year-old, so, you
know, just trying to understand
how this is going to affect her,
knowing the pandemic has
already... affected her a lot.
(voice cracks): So, it's just
been hard.
It takes more than 24 hours to
plan out your life.
You begin to think about what's
most important to you.
Um, things that you can pack
quickly and keep with you just
in case you're not with your
things for, you know, an
extended amount of time.
Right now, our things are going
to go to a storage... um...
>> I haven't figured that out.
[♪ ♪]
>> NARRATOR: The coronavirus
pandemic put tens of millions
of Americans at risk of being
evicted.
To protect them, the federal
government ordered billions in
rent relief and a temporary ban
on evictions, first through the
CARES Act, later through a
moratorium issued by the CDC.
>> In an unprecedented move,
the Trump administration
announced a temporary national
moratorium on evictions for tens
of millions of renters who have
lost work.
>> NARRATOR: Over the course of
a year, we went to states across
the country to see how the
protections were being carried
out...
>> Time is running out to keep
families from being kicked out
of their homes.
>> NARRATOR: And how the
effectiveness depended almost
entirely on how local officials
were enforcing it.
>> And some states have put a
short-term hold on all
evictions, but protections are
hodgepodge.
>> A patchwork of eviction
policies that vary by state.
>> NARRATOR: Tenants scrambled
to understand what their rights
were, like Alexys Hatcher in
Texas, a state that already had
limited protections for tenants.
>> When the pandemic really
started hitting strong in the
United States, and we started to
see business closures and
eviction moratoriums, I just
started posting explainers on
social media, just to help
people understand exactly what
was out there and how it would
apply to them.
Those posts started to be shared
quite a lot, and so before I
knew it, I was getting phone
calls and emails and Facebook
messages and tweets and
everything else from people
all over the county asking for
advice on their particular
situations.
(phone calling out)
>> NARRATOR: Mark Melton,
Hatcher's attorney, created a
network of lawyers to help
people at risk of losing their
homes.
>> This landlord is trying to
evict her by email, that's cute.
>> By email, huh?
>> Yep.
>> The government interventions
that we've had to date have
been helpful, certainly.
But the problem with this
protection is, it's not very
effective, because it doesn't
apply automatically.
It only applies if those tenants
know about the law well enough
to sign an official declaration
that they have to give to their
landlord and the court for it to
apply.
(phone calling out)
>> Hello, is this Jane?
What's going on?
I saw your message today at
1:00.
>> Well, yes, um, I'm still
behind on my rent, but the thing
is, is, my auntie was talking
about some type of paper...
>> Mm-hmm.
>> ...that don't show us the
late fees or something.
>> Well, the late fees are still
chargeable, but, what city do
you live in?
These are not deadbeats, these
are people that had jobs that
felt secure.
And then all of a sudden, the
business that they work for is
closing or they're furloughing
people.
It was taking months to get
unemployment insurance to go
through, because there was such
an over-log of, of applicants
that the state just couldn't
process them quickly enough.
And so people were really in a
bad situation, where they had no
real options.
They can't force you to leave
your home until a court orders
them to, or orders you to leave.
>> NARRATOR: In February 2021, a
federal judge in Texas cast
doubt on the validity of the CDC
moratorium, saying it had
overstepped its authority.
>> The CDC's moratorium on
evictions is unconstitutional.
The judge ruled that while
individual states have the power
to put such restrictions in
place, the federal government
does not.
>> NARRATOR: And then,
separately, the Texas Supreme
Court began allowing evictions
to move forward.
Which left many people like
Alexys Hatcher in a precarious
situation.
She became one of the first in
the state to be evicted.
She had been a manager of a shoe
store, which closed during the
pandemic.
She lost her income and fell
behind on her rent.
>> Court documents for her
eviction case show Hatcher
filed the necessary CDC
declaration saying she faced
homelessness.
Still, this week, a judge
allowed for the eviction to move
forward.
>> Effectively, what happened
with Alexys was, the CDC
moratorium was still there.
It didn't go away.
But the Texas courts decided
that the CDC order no longer
applied in Texas, as crazy as
that is.
They started allowing landlords
to evict people at will.
>> In Texas, you have one of the
first states to challenge the
CDC moratorium, and
successfully so.
>> NARRATOR: Throughout the
pandemic, Emily Benfer was
tracking how states were
handling evictions.
>> Much of a tenant's
experience during the pandemic
was completely dependent upon
the ZIP code that they lived in.
Whether or not you stayed in
that home depended almost
entirely upon whether or not
your landlord was going to
comply with the CDC moratorium...
or a local moratorium, for that
matter... what sheriff showed up
at your door, and what judge you
appeared before.
[♪ ♪]
>> NARRATOR: There were some
judges in Texas still willing to
consider the CDC moratorium.
>> ...in the County of Dallas in
the State of Texas, the
Honorable Judge KaTina Whitfield
presiding, is now in session.
>> Good morning, everybody.
Let's get started here.
Sir, can you hear me?
>> Um, yes, ma'am.
>> Oh, okay great.
>> In Texas, a federal court
judge did state that the CDC
moratorium is not
constitutional.
I have mixed feelings about it,
because we have the tenants that
we know were affected.
I see that there is going to be
a lot of emotional cases that
will be before me.
I have to visit the moral
obligation a lot more, because
the legal obligation is in
black and white.
It does not take into account
the grey areas.
And that's the reason why I
listen to both sides, because
once you do that, that gray area
is going to be exposed.
So then is the $2,219 the
current amount owed?
>> $1,921.
>> Have you tried to...
Okay, first, I don't, you don't
have to go into your particular
circumstances of what caused
you to fall behind.
But if you would like to explain
what happened, you can do that.
>> A lot of the people who
were truly affected by COVID,
they're no better now than they
were a year ago.
We're talking about them losing
their homes, or their kids will
have to be withdrawn from
school... whatever, you know.
The stakes are high.
So if we have that type of
situation, number one, y'all
need to understand it.
You know, put yourself in their
shoes.
>> NARRATOR: Texas had started a
new program that ordered judges
to encourage landlords and
tenants to work together to
avoid evictions.
Judge Whitfield spent time
explaining to tenants that
there were still protections
available to them.
>> Right now, you're not
considered a covered person
because you haven't filled that
declaration out and submitted
it to your landlord.
Um, by what you testified to,
it sounds like this
would apply to you, but you
would need to read each and
every bullet point very
carefully and sign it, because
you have to qualify under each
one of these, okay?
You would sign it, you would
submit a copy to your landlord
and a copy to the court.
As of today, you're not a
covered person, okay?
So I would have to grant them
judgment, but that doesn't mean
that it's too late to fill this
out.
We're also going to email you
guys a list of resources.
We have a packet of financial
resources.
Okay, judgment in favor of the
plaintiff for 33-08-19,
possession and court costs.
Best of luck to you.
Go down there, make the
arrangements, pay off what you
can, and try to settle it, okay?
>> Yes, ma'am.
>> All right, thank you guys so
much, y'all have a wonderful
day.
>> You, too.
>> Thanks.
>> God bless.
>> Thank you.
>> NARRATOR: In making her
decisions, Judge Whitfield said
she also had to balance the
financial concerns of small
landlords, who were often more
vulnerable than corporate
property owners.
>> Since COVID, the mom-and-
pop... you know, "This is not a
business, I have one home that
I'm renting out, I still have
a mortgage, H.O.A. fees,
insurance, those type of
things"... I always stress the
financial assistance, and I'll
remind the tenant that this
person is still paying those
things, like, you have to
remember that.
Just, you know, because it's
hard on you, remember that it's
just as hard on them.
>> NARRATOR: Landlord Sandra
Stanley quickly began feeling
the impact of the pandemic.
Hi, George, I'm here, I'm
just checking on you to see if
you need anything... how's it
going?
>> How you doing? >> I'm good.
>> NARRATOR: She and her family
own eight rental properties
around the Dallas-Fort Worth
area.
>> Thank you for the partial
payments, and just continue
to...
Local landlords have up-close
and personal relationships with
their tenants.
We know our tenants.
We know their children.
We know what's going on with
them and their situations.
Over the course of the pandemic,
when I had to work with people
with their rent, we did okay
paying our mortgage that we had
on it, but we did have struggle
with paying our, our taxes.
Hey, Steve, this is Sandra.
I was wondering, did you get to
find a solution to the A.C.
problem at all?
We have to take care of the
properties regardless of what,
if we get paid or not.
We had A.C. repairs, we had a
plumbing problem... all that
money has to come out of my
pocket, so I went into my
retirement and got the money to
pay the taxes.
And my brother, he had his
savings, he had to go into
his savings.
In my lifetime of being a
landlord, I've had to do at
least three evictions, probably
over, over 30 years.
We try to work with people and
charge low rent so they can
pay their rent.
I'd rather have somebody pay
their rent than have eviction.
I hate doing evictions.
[♪ ♪]
>> NARRATOR: Throughout the
pandemic, the people on the
front lines of carrying out
evictions in Texas were deputies
from the local constable
offices.
>> My name is Jacqueline Lundy.
I work for the Dallas County
Constable's Office, Precinct
Five.
I'm gonna put in my first
address.
When I'm driving out to the
location, I kind of try to run
some scenarios in my head.
"Okay, if they're not at home,
fine, but if they are at home,
what is my next step?
What am I gonna do?
How am I gonna approach it?"
(radio squawks)
You don't know what state of
mind they're in.
We're in a pandemic.
People have lost their jobs,
whatever home life that they
have going on.
Their emotions could be high.
Sometimes it's, uh, you kind of
are sensitive to the situation.
You just kind of have to
compartmentalize the sad part of
it.
It is sad, for me.
I would prefer if they were not
home, but it's a roll of the
dice when they are at home, and
if they are at home, it tugs at
you if there's kids involved,
because it's not their fault
that they're being displaced.
But for the most part, it's
about safety.
You don't know who's behind that
closed door, so it's an unknown,
and an unknown is gonna be a
threat.
(saw grinding)
>> NARRATOR: Deputy Lundy was on
her way to evict a man who had
been illegally occupying a
vacant house for months.
(device chirps)
>> Just open the door.
>> We need to speak with you
out here.
>> Open the door, we're going
in.
>> He has it locked, he locked
the door.
>> Listen, we don't have time
for all this, I got...
>> Hey, hey!
(talking at once)
>> He did not give me a...
>> Give him something to
open the door.
>> Let's discuss this outside.
>> Yes, something to pull the
door.
>> I don't have a weapon on me.
>> Because I don't know what
you got inside the house.
(door rattling)
Open the door, open the door.
>> Open it, open it.
Get in there, get in there, get
in there.
Get in there, get in there.
>> I'm packing my (bleep).
You come in and help me, I'm
packing my stuff.
>> You need to step out.
>> I'm getting all my
belongings.
>> You need to step out.
>> I can't get my clothes?
>> Uh-uh, step out, let's go.
Step out, step out.
>> Taking everything out of the
house... take everything out of
the house.
Speaking Spanish...
>> Put everything right here
in the front yard, all the
furniture.
[♪ ♪]
>> Did you, did you, uh...
You got to say grace.
Okay, say grace.
>> The greatest indicators
of eviction are being Black,
being a woman, or having
children.
We know that Black people are
two times as likely to be
evicted as their white
counterparts after controlling
for education and other factors.
We know that the single greatest
predictor of an eviction is the
presence of a child.
>> NARRATOR: The day she was
evicted, Hatcher and her
daughter spent the night at her
grandmother's house.
But she was worried about COVID,
and continued looking for
somewhere else to stay.
>> Are you on the southern side
of Arlington or on the northern
side?
>> Southern.
>> Okay.
>> Good afternoon.
How could I help you?
>> Hi, I was wondering if you
guys have anything available
for maybe a week?
>> For a week starting today?
>> Possibly, yes.
>> So if you come in tomorrow,
I've got a king room available
at $99 per night.
>> Oh, okay.
>> That's a week's stay, that's
Saturday through the following
Saturday.
>> Saturday to Saturday?
>> Yes, ma'am.
>> They're so expensive.
(laughs): God.
(phone calling out)
>> Good afternoon.
Can I help you?
>> Hi, I just have a couple of
questions.
First, I was wondering if you
guys have anything that's
available for maybe a week?
>> No, we don't have anything.
We probably wouldn't be able
to get you in till Sunday or
Monday.
(phone calling out)
>> Yes, ma'am, how can I help
you?
>> Hi, so we were talking about
the, um, one-week room.
I couldn't remember if you said
it would be available today or
tomorrow.
>> Hold on, I'll check.
>> Just one adult, one child.
>> One adult and one kid.
Okay, I got you booked.
I'll see you tomorrow.
>> Okay, thank you so much.
>> This is $375, okay?
>> Yes, ma'am, thank you.
>> I'll see you, bye-bye.
You're welcome.
>> Bye-bye.
(sighs)
>> (sighs)
>> I know, we got that done,
right?
>> Yay!
>> (laughs)
>> I'm glad that I have the
daughter that I have, because
not all kids are so
understanding and accepting.
She feels my energies.
She knew something wasn't right.
She was expecting something was
going to happen, but one thing
she knows is, Mommy is always
there.
Mommy is still here.
So it must be okay.
You know?
Even though she knows her stuff
is not at home, even though she
knows we're not going back
there, she doesn't know we
don't have a home, because to
her...
(softly): I'm sorry.
But to her, wherever I am is
her home.
[♪ ♪]
>> More than 15,000 eviction
notices have been sent out to
New Jersey residents during the
pandemic, even though New
Jersey Governor Phil Murphy
issued an eviction moratorium
preventing people from being
locked out.
>> NARRATOR: Even in states
with strong tenant protections
during the pandemic, people
were facing eviction.
In New Jersey, in addition to
the CDC moratorium, they passed
their own ban on evictions for
failing to pay rent.
But that didn't cover everyone.
>> I used to work at Hello
Fresh.
But I stopped working there
because someone on my line had
corona.
Now I'm a temp, so, and a
floater.
I was only back a month and a
half, and I found out the
landlord said I was a squatter.
I mean, I just sit and worry,
for the simple fact I got an
11-year-old daughter.
(sniffles)
>> NARRATOR: In December 2020,
June Robinson's landlord went to
court claiming that she wasn't
a legal tenant because her name
wasn't on the lease, and he
hadn't received rent since
before the pandemic, even though
she said she'd paid until
recently.
>> Miss Robinson explained that
she's behind on rent right now,
like a lot of tenants are in
New Jersey.
The New Jersey governor and
the Supreme Court essentially
said that eviction cases
couldn't go forward.
But the landlord filed this
ejectment action, which were
still allowed to be filed,
claiming that June was not a
tenant here.
You're essentially filing a
lawsuit against someone saying
they're a squatter.
We've seen it happen a few
times over the course of the
pandemic, where a landlord says,
"I can't file for eviction, so
can we get them out with an
ejectment?"
It's possible that this is an
attempt to just get around the
protections.
>> I spend majority of my time
now sitting outside in my car,
trying to figure it out.
(sniffles)
Is this how I'm gonna be living?
In my car?
[♪ ♪]
(sniffles): Mm, mm, mm.
[♪ ♪]
>> NARRATOR: Before she found
an attorney, Robinson had an
online court hearing.
>> See if that Zoom thing
got downloaded.
(sniffs)
(phone calling out)
Yes, good morning, I'm
supposed to had a Zoom court
date today, and I don't have a
link or anything on my phone.
I never got...
Someone called me, like, the
fifth, I think, the fourth or
the fifth, and said I would be
getting an email so I can do
the Zoom video or something.
And that, I never got an email,
that's all was told to me.
(sniffs)
While you're here on the phone,
let me, I'm gonna go...
(sniffs)
I'm on, no, I'm, I'm...
Okay, say, Joanne, that's it?
And, um, could you tell me how I
go about setting it up, please?
Oh, don't click on it now?
Okay.
Oh, you are such a...
Thank you so, so much.
'Cause I didn't know what to do.
I have a banging headache.
Like, my head is hurting really
bad.
>> Getting overstressed.
[♪ ♪]
>> NARRATOR: On the day of her
hearing, she was running an
errand at a grocery store, and
was in her car when the
proceedings began.
[♪ ♪]
>> Miss Robinson, are you here?
>> Yes.
>> So maybe you could, it
would be, not be inappropriate
for you to remove your mask?
So we could hear you better?
>> Oh, oh, maybe, okay.
>> Oh, yeah, that's much better.
>> Okay.
>> So before we go any further,
please raise your right hand.
Do you swear or affirm the
testimony you are about to give,
as well as the testimony you
have previously given, will be
the truth, the whole truth, and
nothing but the truth?
>> Yes.
>> Okay, thank you.
Now, on January the 6th, I heard
testimony and reviewed the
documents.
And I concluded that whoever was
residing in unit two was not
there with the permission of the
property owner, and that anyone
who was in that unit needed to
vacate the premises immediately.
So explain to me now what it
is that you're asking.
>> How am I squatting when, um,
the apartment was rented to me
since July 2019?
>> Have you been paying anybody
any rent?
>> Yes, I have, I've, like I
said, I mean, I'm, yeah, I
didn't, I was back a month and a
half.
And that's because I was out of
work, but I started getting
unemployment, and I was, I told
them that I would take and, you
know, catch up on my rent.
>> Is your name on the lease?
>> Yes, yes, it is, yes, it is,
your honor, yes.
>> Well, let's see it.
>> I'm in the car.
I went to the store, your honor,
to get something to eat.
I didn't know that, I didn't
bring no lease right here in the
car with me.
>> My client, who is the lawful
and legal owner of this
apartment complex, your honor,
and now we're in a position
where this person is purported
to be a lease, a lessee of this
residential apartment building,
yet has never prepared, or shown
a lease agreement, has never
presented that to a court.
>> I'm trying, still trying to
understand what is different
than what occurred when I had a
hearing in early January.
Nothing has been presented to me
today, either verbally or in the
documents provided to the court,
to enable me to vacate the
prior order of ejectment.
So, uh, good luck and, uh,
stay safe.
>> Thanks, your honor.
>> I'm not understanding...
I didn't understand nothing he
said.
Like...
So what he just said, like, this
is just over?
My, my thing is just over?
Like...
(sniffles)
(siren blaring in distance)
Hello?
[♪ ♪]
(cellphone ringing)
(knock at door)
>> Who is it?
>> So you're aware of what's
going on today, right?
>> No.
>> Your brother hasn't been
talking to you?
>> No.
>> Okay, we came by multiple
times.
We've, I've talked to you
personally multiple times.
>> I don't know why they, why he
keeps sending you on out here.
And this is a tenant-landlord
situation.
He's, I don't know why you keep
doing that.
>> Okay, we're looking at a
court order right here.
So you went to court, and they
gave a ruling, but they didn't
give you any paper before you
left?
>> No.
They did a Zoom thing, no.
>> Oh, you did a Zoom thing?
>> Yeah.
>> The reason why we were
trying to get in contact with
you is to help you along with
the process.
Because we knew a certain date
that was set, there's nothing we
can do at that time.
We were trying to help you to
try to see if you can go back
down to the court or do
anything.
Because once our hands are tied,
there's nothing we can do.
And that's why we came back here
multiple times, putting multiple
letters on your door with the
number to contact us.
Because the only person that you
need to speak with is a judge.
If the judge signs an order,
that's all you have to do is go
see the judge.
We have no control of that.
He signed the order.
>> I don't have that power,
okay?
You have to talk to a judge,
someone over me, that supersedes
me, tells me what to do.
>> So you're telling me I'm
going to get locked out of my
apartment?
>> Well, uh, the...
>> Me and my 11-year-old
daughter?
>> I don't, I don't...
>> If we don't do it today, we
will be doing it next week.
We will be doing it next week.
So whatever affairs you need,
have it in order by that date.
Because we will be coming back,
we will be posting it on the
door.
>> Okay.
I understand that.
>> So the next time we come,
there shouldn't be an issue,
right?
>> What's your name?
>> Detective To one.
>> Wait, Detective who?
>> To one... T-O-O-N-E.
We still working with you.
>> And I appreciate that.
>> We're doing everything we
can.
But what I'm telling you, once I
get another date, that is it.
All right?
So we're going to call, um...
They're not here, so we're going
to have to move forward.
But like I said, we will be
back to talk to you.
And I will call you and let
you know if I'm going to post it
and everything.
>> Thank you.
>> All right.
>> Thank you...
(inaudible)
>> All right, have a good day.
>> You, too.
[♪ ♪]
Mm, mm, mm.
>> Housing is foundational.
It, it's a pillar of resiliency
in the same way that employment
and education are.
But if you knock out that one
pillar, housing, where you live,
your home, you can't access any
of the others.
[♪ ♪]
>> Tenants are protected during
the pandemic.
They don't have to pay the rent
and their landlords can't evict
them.
>> NARRATOR: While almost every
state and many cities passed
their own eviction moratoriums,
California had the longest-
running ban.
>> Small landlords say they
simply can't afford to house
people for free.
>> NARRATOR: In Los Angeles,
Dyan Golden said her upstairs
tenant stopped paying rent.
>> When the pandemic first
happened, in March, I was like
everybody else, like, what does
this mean?
And as far as being a landlord,
I didn't project or see
anything, I didn't put anything
together in terms of eviction
moratorium.
What is that?
I mean, none of that came to
mind.
A matter of fact, the first
month that my tenant didn't pay,
I think it was in March.
And, and I told him, I said,
"You know, if I were working, I
wouldn't, either, because
everything's just so uncertain."
Next month, you know, he paid
and then he skipped again.
No problem.
I trusted him.
I figured he'll pay me back.
I didn't know if or when my
tenant was gonna pay rent.
So it's like having your hands
tied behind your back, and
someone can just take and do
whatever with your life, with
your livelihood.
There's so many people that
think that landlords are bad.
That landlords are "rich."
They have a lot of money.
That landlords should not make a
profit.
That it's not a business, you
know, and, and that's why we're
the scapegoats.
In the end, I lost 11 months'
rental income.
I have to eat.
I have to get my medicines.
Plus, now, I've got legal bills
because I need an attorney to
know, how do you evict somebody?
What, what do I do?
[♪ ♪]
>> NARRATOR: As the pandemic
stretched on, tenants
were falling deeper
and deeper into debt.
>> When the schools shut down,
this is when it all started for
me.
My son was no longer to attend
in-person schooling.
And that's where I was unable to
work during the week, because
now I'm staying home and doing
the home schooling.
And our restaurant went down to
take-out only.
Since this, it's been a journey.
It's been an emotional
roller coaster.
Since September, I have not paid
my rent, so I'm looking at
eviction if I don't have 25% of
my rent paid.
But even if I do have that part
paid, I'm still going to owe
about $7,500.
Um, so where's that going to
come from?
Every couple of months, I get
notices on my door from the
apartment complex letting me
know the balance of what I owe
at that time, and every time
that hits my door, it just
brings me to another place.
And I just, I cry, because just
seeing that rack up is just
difficult, because I don't know
how I'm going to get out of it.
This apartment means a lot to
me.
It's our safe haven.
It's something that I've worked
so hard to keep and provide for
us.
So it's just not an apartment.
It's our home.
>> NARRATOR: To help tenants
like Teresa Trabucco, who were
behind on their rent, Congress
had allocated billions of
dollars, one of the largest
such efforts in history.
>> Congress passed federal
rental assistance, and that
ended up amounting to over $46
billion, which was the amount
the landlord associations and
apartment associations said they
needed to make themselves whole.
>> NARRATOR: The program was
meant to provide rental relief
payments to tenants and
landlords, and cover back rent,
late fees, and utility costs.
>> The same way that we've never
had a moratorium before, we have
never had the national
infrastructure for rental
assistance.
So, states were ill-equipped to
actually disperse it to
communities.
In fact, by the end of June
2021, only $3 billion of $46.5
billion had been distributed to
the landlords who needed it and
to prevent the housing
displacement
of those millions of tenants.
>> See you guys.
[♪ ♪]
We had three tenants that
stopped paying altogether.
And it became quite a burden
now, because we're talking about
ten months, 11 months later now,
and the tenants owe me $39,000
and change, and that's a very
large sum of money that affects,
you know, everything about the
building.
In California, although the
governor has proclaimed that,
that there's rent relief, and
rent relief is coming, and we've
had to apply.
And we've applied for the three
tenants, but unfortunately, due
to some of the administrative
difficulties in complying with
the application process, the
moneys still have not come
through.
>> I applied for several
different rental assistance
programs throughout Riverside
County, and each program, I felt
like it was just a dead end.
They kept referring me to
another place.
And then the apartment manager
submitted the paperwork for me
to get started on the rental
assistance program.
And two weeks went by.
No check.
Third week, I'm, like, "Okay,
it's been 15 business days,
still no check."
I was, like, "It's one hurdle
after another, like, it's not
going to come through."
The options I'm thinking about
would be possibly to move in
with my sister and rent a room
from her, or my parents, move
back in with them.
But, you know, at 43 years old,
you shouldn't have to be going
back to live with your parents,
or struggling to find somewhere
to live, or if you're going to
live on the streets.
[♪ ♪]
>> NARRATOR: Alexys Hatcher had
applied for the rental
assistance, but the money hadn't
come through before she was
evicted.
Like many states, Texas had
enlisted charitable groups, such
as the Salvation Army, to help
distribute the funds.
>> I first met Alexys, my
supervisor called me, and said
that she had watched a story on
the news about a young lady who
had been evicted from her home.
And she was a single mom with a
little girl.
I think I was mad and I was
frustrated, because I know that,
you know, evictions weren't
supposed to be happening.
>> Yay.
>> (cheers)
>> And how do you explain that
to your child?
So her story touched me on
different forefronts, being a
case manager, being a mom, and
just being a person.
My department handles court-
ordered evictions.
So we pay rent.
Now we're paying mortgages.
We're just trying to make sure
that anyone who needs the
assistance is able to stay in
their home.
I am preventing clients from
entering to a shelter, or
sleeping in a car, or having to
go and couch surf or check into
a hotel.
So we are trying to divert them
from being at risk of
homelessness.
>> You like this one better?
>> Yeah!
>> Okay, so guess what?
>> What?
>> We're going to go buy
groceries, because guess what?
>> One thing that really sticks
out was that she told me her
daughter asked what was going
on, and she told her that their
house was broken and that they
had to find a new house.
>> Nice and lovely!
>> She didn't want to tell her
baby that they were being
evicted, and so she just told
her that, "The house is broken,
we're going to find another
house, and it's an adventure."
And I just think, the way she
handled it with her daughter,
I don't think children should
have to worry about where
they're going to sleep, never.
Or what they're going to eat.
>> Spaghetti?
>> (speaking gibberish)
No!
>> Why?
We have to get veggies, too.
Do you want corn or green beans?
Since I've been grocery
shopping, it's about maybe
three weeks.
But since all of my food ended
up in black bags, and I had to
throw away a lot of it,
this is exciting.
So, like, even though I'm in the
hotel, like, the fact that I can
go buy groceries, I can cook,
like, there's pots and pans or
a dishwasher, like, it, it gives
me a sense of just being normal.
I don't feel like I'm not in my
home.
It makes me happy.
It's just like, I don't feel
like I'm just failing, like,
you know, I feel like I'm doing
something that is normal.
Here you go.
Would you like to sit in the
chair and have it, or would you
like to sit at the desk?
>> (inaudible)
>> Okay.
>> (babbling)
>> NARRATOR: Janeen Smith
started working with Hatcher to
find her a new place to live and
to get the rental assistance
money.
>> I think with Alexys, the
difference between her and a lot
of clients, she is very
organized, and anything that I
asked her for, she had it.
"Ms. Smith, I got records.
Ms. Smith, do you want me to
drop it off?
You want me to email it to you?"
She was on top of it.
>> Hi, Erin.
I was wondering if you all had
any two bedrooms available?
Aw, do you know when you will
have something?
>> To leave a message for the
office or leasing, please
press one.
(cellphone beeps)
(voicemail beeps)
>> Hi, my name is Alexys
Hatcher.
I was looking to move in to your
two-bedroom town home kind of
immediately.
(cellphone calling out)
>> Thank you for calling...
>> Hi, I was wondering if you
guys had any two bedrooms
available.
>> It was important that she
picked a place that she wanted
to be in.
Don't just get something and not
want to be there.
Take your time, look at it.
There is a lot of resources out
there, but if you don't know or
have someone to tell you, then
you don't get the help.
[♪ ♪]
>> Hi, Randy, how are you?
Good.
I don't like to ask for help.
So, I struggled with that.
It wasn't a good feeling.
But the management company,
they really kept on top of everything
with me, keeping me informed.
I think they were rooting for
me.
Within, I would say, about six
to eight weeks, I heard back
from them.
On a Sunday night, I got that
email.
Half-tired, and I'm reading it.
And I just sat there.
And I'm, like, what?, what?
Like, this is not... I'm seeing
too many numbers there.
It covered all of my past due
rent, and three months' advanced
rent, and my water and sewer and
trash was paid.
It just felt like a ton of
bricks just came off of my
shoulders.
(crying): And it was, like, I
wasn't losing my home.
And Liam and I had a place to
stay.
So it was such a good feeling.
[♪ ♪]
>> NARRATOR: Of all the states,
California received the most
federal rental relief... more
than $5 billion.
Dyan Golden and many other landlords
ended up receiving money for the
rent she missed.
And across the country, the
money was eventually distributed
to millions of people.
[♪ ♪]
>> It supported people at a time
of extreme crisis.
It made it possible for them to
go back to work and prevented
the poor health, the anxiety,
the mental health breaks that
are associated with eviction.
>> NARRATOR: Emily Benfer went
on to work for the White House,
helping implement the rental
relief plan.
>> The communities that were
able to distribute rental
assistance had lower
displacement rates.
They had lower filing rates in
eviction courts.
So, all of these interventions,
these measures, they're
important and they matter.
>> NARRATOR: Alexys Hatcher's
rental assistance money came
through and ended up helping her
pay for a new apartment.
>> That one's full of clothes.
Today's moving day, yes.
It's really exciting.
Even though I'm probably going
to be really exhausted by the
end of the day, it'll be worth
it, because we're not in a hotel
or at my grandma's house.
>> Mommy, look what I found!
>> What'd you find?
>> It is, found my, um...
>> Bubble blower?
>> Yeah!
And I found my Minnie Mouse
one, the wand!
>> It is?
>> (singing and talking)
>> Watch out, baby.
>> We've started to kind of go
through all of our stuff,
because those black bags, they
were all mixed up.
I couldn't find everything.
This is definitely not the way
it should be done, especially
the way the things are in the
bag.
It's just like throwing all of
your things out like trash.
Like, I know it's kind of funny,
but...
I mean, it's funny now.
It was not funny the day I
thought about it.
Get some toys for me
Aliyah please.
This bag is full of Christmas
decorations.
I don't know, pulling my stuff
out, it's, like, some things
have memories, so that's just,
like, a sense of comfort in
itself, is that I'm back with my
things.
>> Now, somebody will play with
me?
>> Just a second.
I'll play with you as soon as
I'm done.
>> Okay.
>> To see someone with a support
system versus someone without,
you shouldn't be surprised that
those are two totally different
outcomes.
We've got other families that
are right now living in their
car with their two kids.
>> Are you gonna buy it?
>> Yup.
>> We've got other families that
we've had to put in shelters
that are still in shelters.
You know, these are the more
typical stories when we're
talking about eviction.
[♪ ♪]
>> NARRATOR: June Robinson was
not able to provide rental
receipts or a valid lease to
prove she was a legal tenant,
and was forced to leave the
apartment.
[♪ ♪]
>> NARRATOR: In August 2021,
the U.S. Supreme Court blocked
the federal moratorium on
evictions.
(knocking on door)
>> Constable's office!
(knocking on door)
>> Constable!
>> NARRATOR: And state bans
have since expired.
[♪ ♪]
In the coming months, the last
of the government's rental
relief money is expected to be
paid out.
[♪ ♪]
>> 521.
>> (on radio): 521.
>> Go ahead and show me clear
set-out.
[♪ ♪]
That was a good day.
You know, I didn't have to
encounter the tenant being
there, and seeing the look on
their face, or anger, or
whatever the case may have been.
It's kind of heartbreaking at
time, to do it, but it is part
of the job that I signed up to
do, so, much as I hate it, you
know, I have to do it.
[♪ ♪]
>> Excuse me, Mommy, I got to
make some food for my babies.
>> Gracie, sit down and eat your
food, please.
If it was just me by myself,
like, no pandemic, I just got
behind on my rent, and my
landlord decided to evict me, I
don't think anyone would have
thought twice about it.
They probably would have kind of
made assumptions, like, "Well,
whatever she was doing, that's
her problem."
But I'm kind of glad that it did
happen in a pandemic, where
everyone is thinking about it
and talking about it, because
when this pandemic is over,
evictions are not going to stop.
There are still going to be
people that are going to need
help, regardless of pandemic or
not.
>> "Kiss me and tell me I will
never be alone."
"Kiss me and hug me t..."
>> Tight.
>> "...and say, 'I love you.'"
(smoke detector chirps)
"I never let you go."
>> The end.
>> I'm gonna let it stay right
here so I can read it tomorrow.
[♪ ♪]
additional reporting on
evictions from our partners at
RetroReport.
>>In cities like Fresno, the
threat of evictions has tenants
on edge...
>> We cannot let people
be evicted because of
nothing they did themselves...
>> Programs that help tenants
purchase their homes are gaining
traction now...
>> Connect with FRONTLINE on
Facebook, Instagram and Twitter,
and stream anytime on
the PBS Video App, YouTube or
Captioned by Media Access Group
>> For more on this and other
Front line programs visit our
[♪ ♪]
Frontline's "Facing Evictions"
is available on
Amazon Prime Video.
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