SILVER SPRING, Md. — Dozens of families that fled Afghanistan now living in Montgomery County are on the verge of being evicted, and they say this is just the latest housing issue they've dealt with since coming to this area.
Shila Sayedi first arrived to the U.S. from Afghanistan 10 months ago, but in three days, she and her family may not have a home.
And she’s not alone.
Dozens of families at the Enclave apartment complex in Silver Spring have just weeks before getting evicted.
On Saturday, community groups showed up to get an idea of just how big the problem is, and were shocked by what they learned.
“Our list is incomplete, but I have 76 families on my list of people we talked to,” said Ilhan Cagri of Muslim Voices Coalition. “Of that, I’d say 23 received a Sheriff’s notice, so they’re going to be evicted within the next three or four weeks.”
As the stories were collected, a pattern began to emerge: many of the families recently came from Afghanistan and worked for the U.S. government.
That work put them in the Taliban’s crosshairs, forcing these families to escape with their lives.
“They will hunt you down, they’ll hunt your family down, they’ll kill you, kill your family members, burn your house down,” Cagri said. “They are ruthless in going after the people in the US government, so knowing this, the US gives them special status called an SIV visa. This means you worked for the US government, and they make it easy for you to come to the United States.”
However, families realized they were being placed in homes they couldn’t afford, and the assistance they were promised soon ran dry.
“Our caseworker found this place and brought us here, and she said the rent would be $1,650,” Sayedi said. “For six months, they paid rent, and then when we had to pay rent, it went up to $2,550.”
Cagri points to three agencies, the International Rescue Committee, Lutheran Social Services, and the Ethiopian Community Development Council, as the responsible parties, adding that this mismanagement has had real consequences for families who’re still trying to adjust to life in the U.S.
“They kind of dropped the ball,” she said. “They put these people in apartments they couldn’t afford. They’re more than $2,000, sometimes up to $3,000 for people who do not speak English, do not understand how this place works, can’t apply for a job because they don’t have anything to show where they worked before or what their education status was, and if they do get a job, they’re going to work minimum wage.”
Sayedi says her husband is disabled, meaning making rent falls on her alone, but with only days until eviction, she wonders what her options are.
“My kids and I came from Afghanistan for a better life,” she said. “I’m going to end up in the street with my children. I don’t have anyone in America. What am I supposed to do with my children out on the street?”
Cagri is calling on anyone who is able and willing to help to reach out to her organization. WUSA9 reached out to the complex for a comment, but they were unavailable.