VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. — A Volusia County family has been evicted from their home. They were not able to make rent after waiting weeks to receive unemployment assistance.
Haley Starbeck, her fiancé and their three young children are struggling to figure out where they will go next. A judge in Volusia County moved their eviction case forward last week, and once the current eviction freeze expires, they will be evicted.
The family was not able to make rent after waiting 10 weeks to receive any unemployment assistance. The fresh eviction on their record means that potential future landlords are uneasy about renting to them and in some cases are asking for a higher security deposit.
Florida’s current eviction moratorium only stops evictions that occur due to “non-payment of rent.” Landlords can still file evictions against tenants for violating lease terms or for refusing to vacate once a lease term has expired.
As of Tuesday, Volusia County judges have decided to move forward with 41 eviction cases filed in the court since the moratorium began on April 2.
An analysis from The Aspen Project finds that one in five Americans who rent are at risk of being evicted by the end of September.
Molly Duerig is a Report For America corps member reporting on affordable housing for Spectrum News 13. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
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