DISTRICT HEIGHTS, Md. — A Maryland mom is among the millions of Americans holding their breath, waiting on Congress to extend the federal eviction moratorium which is set to expire July 31st.
“It's scary because if I'm on the street, where do I go?” the mom asked tearfully.
The mother of four children — who did not want to share her name with WUSA9 in fear of retaliation — shared a letter she received from managers at Regency Point Apartments in District Heights.
The letter, dated April 12, 2021, stated she had a balance of more than $9,000. The letter went on to say that even if you applied for rental assistance you still must pay because approval can take up to 90 days.
"We have started the court process of nonpayment of rent and if you are on a month to month, your lease will not be renewed, stated the letter provided to WUSA9.
According to a notice she provided WUSA9 from Prince George’s County, her rental assistance was approved, and the balance was paid in May.
WUSA9 reached out to the assistant property manager at Regency Point who did not answer our questions about the letter, simply told us to call back on Monday.
"They just throw notices on the door during the pandemic when there's an eviction moratorium,” the mother said. “So how can I feel safe and secure when I'm getting those types of notices?!"
According to the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development, an eviction moratorium was in place throughout the state of emergency and at the time of the April letter from management. Even though Gov. Hogan recently ended the state of emergency, the eviction moratorium was extended until August 15th. Maryland's moratorium means despite letters from landlords, courts cannot remove you from your home if you can prove the pandemic has made it difficult to pay your rent.
Now, this mom hopes Congress will step in to offer some more security that she and her children won't be left homeless. “I won't be moved. I will fight as long as I can,” she said.