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James Tyer, an attorney with Jacksonville Area Legal Aid, joins us to discuss under what conditions a landlord can terminate a lease and precautions renters can take to avoid evictions.

Trysta Wallace said the mold and plumbing problems in the bathroom of the apartment she rented on the Southside became so disgusting she couldn’t use the toilet or take a shower. “I use the port-a-potty up the street. I pee in a cup and I take a bird bath in the kitchen,” she explained. “It’s in the middle of the night, where can I go? I can’t make it up the street, I would pee myself.” She said she stopped going into the bathroom entirely when the mold started getting really bad. When she reported the problems to the property manager, Wallace said, “They just looked at me and said, ‘I’m sorry.’”

Peter and Nancy Rosalez found out in November they were eligible for up to $25,000 in government money to keep from losing their house to foreclosure. But their mortgage company had gotten permission to foreclose on their Middletown, Ohio, home and was about to sell it. The money sat unused while an auction of the home went forward. “The mental anguish we’ve been through with this house and trying to save this house—it’s just been ridiculous,” Mrs. Rosalez said. The federal government allocated funds for distressed homeowners as part of its expansive efforts to help Americans cope with the pandemic’s financial strains. Unlike some other stimulus programs, such as checks mailed to individuals, this money moved slowly.