KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas City nonprofit CHES believes the city could see a spike in evictions over the holiday season.
But, the Credit and Home Ownership and Empowerment Services group says, a funding program could give struggling tenants hope.
"For me it was difficult because I like to take care of things," Derricka McDaniel. "I like to feel like I'm the one in charge," she said.
McDaniel says every dollar counts.
"And you don't want your children you know ... you don't want to let the family down," she said.
"A lot of the folks we encounter is, "I lost my job during Covid," or 'I'm behind a couple months, the lights are off,'" said CHES Program Director Jordan Cook.
Cook says the nonprofit helps mediate between landlords and tenants behind on their payment and connects them to funding to help catch them up.
That help keeps families from being evicted.
"It's just really important to make sure that you have a home together when everything else seems like it's falling apart," McDaniel said.
But there is a problem on the horizon - one of the funding streams the nonprofit and others like it use just dried up.
That means they've fallen back on another funding program called SAFHR, but it takes much longer to file paperwork and get payment.
Landlord and tenant attorney for CHES, Rachel Foley, says if it takes too long, landlords who are already stretched thin by the tail of the pandemic may start filing more evictions over the holidays.
"I think we're on the cusp of seeing a spike in the number of evictions," she said. "It's very tough."
Foley says there is hope because the SAFHR program still has plenty of money.
So, if people like McDaniel reach out soon enough, families can stay together.
"Well it ensures that we'll have a roof over our heads," McDaniel said. "To be able to enjoy those holidays together as a family should be able to do."