HYATTSVILLE, Md. — It’s been seven months since Rhome Anderson, better known as DJ Stylus, has been paid to perform in front of a LIVE crowd. The pandemic has dealt a devastating blow to numerous professionals, including artists like Anderson. He’s tried to make it work, spinning for zoom parties and transitioning to some temporary work. But the so-called “COVID hustle” is a constant for Anderson, because the bills keep coming.
Anderson is far from being alone. WSSC WATER said 95,000 people in Prince George’s and Montgomery counties are late on their bills, owing the utility company $58.4 million in total. That’s an 82% increase from 2019, according to WSSC Water.
“We know you have choices to make, when you have several bills sitting in front of you," WSSC Water spokesperson Lyn Riggins said. "We are not going to turn off your water, we are not charging late fees. But what we are asking is that you reach out to us because we want to help you."
Riggins said WSSC has $3 million to help customers catch up on those quarterly bills.
Other sources of help? Most renters are protected by a federal ban on evictions right now. If homeowners have trouble paying the mortgage, experts suggest reaching out to your lender for assistance. Otherwise, you may find yourself taking more drastic steps to avoid foreclosure.
“If you need to, get in contact with a realtor, someone you trust, and let them know what your situation is to see if you could sell your house, so it doesn't affect you from buying another house," Shirvan Joseph with Fitzgerald Financial Town Mortgage said.