An unknown good Samaritan recently gave a gift of a lifetime to New York tenants who owed back rent and were about to be evicted from their apartments.
The Times Union reported how the Bliss Towers, a 132-unit apartment complex in Hudson, New York, received a $60,000 donation from an anonymous donor to cover outstanding payments. The Hudson-Catskill Housing Coalition (HCHC), an advocacy group that works on behalf of tenants, said the donation was made through them.
Residents who owed money were at risk of being evicted from their houses. However, "all debt for tenants" has been removed thanks to the generous gesture. HCHC Senior Policy Advisor Quintin Cross said, "If folks are evicted from [HHA], we know they're homeless after that - they have no place else to go." Several obstacles, according to Cross, are impeding people's capacity to afford rent. In addition to the constraints imposed by COVID-19, he claimed that housing costs in Hudson have increased intensely.
In a Facebook Post, HCHC emphasized how the pandemic has placed their community in a precarious state and put a burden on people where there was already a strain. They said that housing costs have risen dramatically, inflation is at an all-time high, and individuals are struggling to pay their expenses.
They also expressed gratitude to the donor, who requested anonymity. Even though the individual's name is unknown, individuals have expressed their gratitude for the extraordinary gesture of generosity.
"How generous of them!" one woman wrote on Facebook. "What an amazing thing to do."
Another added, "I'm trying not to cry. That's beautiful."
Also Read: Good Samaritan Leaves Very Generous $16K Tip For Waitstaff After Eating Meal
Emergency Rental Assistance Starts To Run Out
NPR News reported that during the pandemic, emergency rental assistance enabled millions of people to stay in their homes. However, when the $46 billion from Congress has been allocated, the government program will begin to wind down this summer.
About half of that has already been spent, and in some regions, programs are running out of money and having to shut down. This is driving up eviction filings, even as rents rise and inflation eats into household budgets.
"Our tenants are having to choose between feeding their children or aging parents and paying rent," said Dana Karni of Lone Star Legal Aid in Houston.
According to Greg Brown of the National Apartment Association, the elimination of rental assistance affects landlords as well, particularly small businesses with months of unpaid rent and bills. He also claimed this occurs at a time when the country's greater affordable housing crisis was only getting worse. Supply chain issues, together with rising rents and inflation, were impeding much-needed new buildings.
Meanwhile, as federal rental assistance runs out, Biden wants additional states and localities to step in. It's asking them to follow New York's lead, which recently devoted $800 million of its pandemic recovery funds to assisting renters who are struggling to stay in their homes.
Wally Adeyemo, the Deputy Treasury Secretary, applauded California's plan to use $7.4 billion in disaster relief funds to develop and preserve more affordable housing last week.
Related Article: President Trump Signs COVID Relief Bill, Wants Americans To Receive More Than Congress Originally Planned
