Thomas is a 75-year-old senior who came to Catholic Charities East Bay seeking help with his back rent. The landlord was unwilling to stop legal proceedings. It became clear that Thomas could no longer afford that apartment, and ultimately, he moved out. As you can imagine, he was experiencing a lot of stress.
We did not give up.
Delia, our experienced housing project manager, provided legal referrals, reached out to tenant rights agencies, and stayed in regular, weekly contact with him, to check in and reassure him that we could help cover moving expenses. She worked closely with Thomas for over two months to help him obtain secure, stable housing. This support gave him some peace of mind during a crisis. He knew he was not alone. Within a couple of months, Thomas found a room to rent.
Catholic Charities was able to help pay the security deposit and rent for his first two and a half months, which helped him catch up on bills that piled up during the crisis.
Here is what Thomas wrote to Delia:
I’m writing to thank you for your help in putting my life back together.
It may sound dramatic, but when things start going bad it seems they don’t stop.
The assistance that you helped me with through Catholic Charities was a life saver.
My bills were piling up and your generous gift allowed me to recover.
Thank you and The Catholic Charities so very much!
Like many seniors in the Bay Area, Thomas relies on his monthly Social Security check as his sole source of income. His rent for one room is almost 50 percent of his monthly income.
Eviction cases are soaring in the Bay Area. A June 17 story in the Mercury News by Grant Stringer reports that “Crammed eviction courts are the new normal in the Bay Area.” And “After post-pandemic lows, eviction rates are spiking across the Bay Area’s five counties. Alameda County leads the region in eviction cases.”
Catholic Charities East Bay remains committed to preventing homelessness, an important part of our work for decades.
This is why your support matters so much to us — and to seniors like Thomas.