Elderly couple facing eviction due to rent increase

>> PAUL LAGRONE: AND THAT'S COMPLETELY LOGICAL, BUT SUPPLY AND DEMAND AND ECONOMIC TERMS CAN SEEM KIND OF COLD WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT REAL PEOPLE, REAL FAMILIES. AND TODAY OUR WINDY LANE SPOKE TO A SINGLE MOTHER WHO HAS DISABLED KIDS WHO JUST HAD HER RENT GO UP $1000 A MONTH. SHE FEELS LIKE SHE HAS NOWHERE TO GO. AND UNFORTUNATELY SHE'S NOT ALONE. >> I PART OF MY JOB. RENEE SHAW LYNN WORKED UNTIL THE AGE OF 72. HE'S MOTIVATED THE WHOLE CR, HIEWS WIFE, PAULA, UNTIL SHE WAS 68 AT THAT HOTEL, WHICH WAS MUCH LARGER AFTER RETIRING 5 YEARS AGO. THEY MOVED TO AN APARTMENT HOME IN SPRING HILL. >> WE MOVED TO FLORIDA FOR MY HEALTH. >> PAULA SAYS THE WARM WEATHER HELPS WITH HER ARTHRITIS. I FEEL THAT THIS ONE-BEDROOM APARTMENT IS WHERE THEY PLANNED TO LIVE OUT THE REST OF THEIR DAYS. BUT HERE. >> LITTLE TO PALM TREES. >> BUT THEIR SLICE OF PARADISE COMES AT A PRICE, A PRICE THEY CAN NO LONGER AFFORD. >> WE'RE SUPPOSED TO ENJOY OUR RETIREMENT. THAT'S WHAT WE WORK FOR. AND WE'RE NOT ENJOYING HER RETIREMENT. >> NOT ANYMORE. NOW THEY CAN NO LONGER EAT OUT AND THEY'RE FORCED TO PUT GROCERIES ON CREDIT CARDS BECAUSE SINCE MOVING IN. RENT IS INCREASING BY 50%. >> THE NEXT YEAR IT WILL BE 1600 AND WE CAN TO FOR THAT. COMPLETELY OUT OF OUR REACH. >> SINCE MY SCHOOL BOTH NOW ELDERLY HANDICAPPED SCOOTER. AND FACING HEALTH PROBLEMS. >> THANK, YOU KNOW, LIGHTING RIGHT BACK. >> BACK TO CONTINUING TO LOOK FOR APARTMENTS ITHN EIR PRICE RANGE, WHICH DON'T SEEM TO EXIST AND THEY MAKE TOO MUCH MONEY FROM SOCIAL SECURITY TO LIVE IN AFFORDABLE HOUSING. >> THERE IS NO HELP FOR US. THERE IS NOWHERE TO GO. >> AND THEY KNOW MANY OTHERS ARE FACING THE SAME PROBLEMS. >> WHY AM GOI ING TO GO? >> CC RIZ, ALSO HAS NOWHERE TO GO. SHE SAYS THE RENT EVER. 3 BEDROOM, CAROL WOOD APARTMENT IS GOING UP FROM 1500, 2 $2500 A MONTH. HER LANDLORD JUST GAVE HER A 60 DAY EVICTION. NOTICE. >> MANY OF THE APARTMENTS I HAVE APPLIED FOR. THEY DON'T HAVE NOTHING AVAILABLE. THEY HAVE A WAY TO END THIS. >> AND WAITING IS SOMETHING THE SINGLE MOTHER OF 3 CAN'T AFFORD TO HER OLSTDE SON HAS ANGEL MEN SYNDROME WITH SEVERE SPECIAL NEEDS. ON YOU. DON'T HER? 10 YEAR-OLD SON, YOUNG CARLOS DREAMS OF BECOMING A DOCTOR TO HELP PEOPLE LIKE HIS BROTHER. >> NEW IT. ME. I'M GNGOI DO. >> LAUREN ST. GERMAIN: AND WELL, HE DREAMS OF SOMEDAY HELPING OTHERS. RIGHT NOW HIS FAMILY IS IN NEED OF HELP THEMSELVES. >> I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHERE TO GO. >> AND MANY DON'T KNOW WHERE TO GO. THAT'S BECAUSE ABOUT ONE 3RD OF THE PEOPLE LIVING IN FLORIDA ARE RENTERS AND RENT HAS GONE UP ABOUT 30% IN THE TAMPA BAY AREA COMPARED TO LAST YEAR. FLORIDA LEADING THE NATION IN RATE INCREASES IN A STATE THAT HAS NO RENT CONTROL LAWS. >> ITS CURRENT SITUATION OF ACTING, EVERYBODY. >> EVERYBODY, INCLUDING ORGANIZATIONS WHO HELP PEOPLE STRUGGLING WITH RENT. NOW THEY'RE STRUGGLING THEMSELVES OVERWHELMED BY THE NEED. >> OUR SHELTER DIRECT FULL CAPACITY. AND THERE'S MULTI 100 FAMILY LISTS TO GET INTO THE SHELTER. >> METROPOLITAN MINISTRIES SAYS THEY NORMALLY GET ABOUT 150 REQUESTS FOR RENTAL HELP EACH MONTH. NOW THEY'RE GETTING 900 REQUESTS FROM PEOPLE. >> WHO HAVE NOWHERE TO GO. THINGS ARE GOING TO HAVE TO OR PEOPLE A YEAR. >> CHANGE LIKE MORE HELP FOR THE ELDERLY WHO ARE ON FIXED INCOMES AND ARE BEING PRICED OUT OF THEIR HOMES. >> WILL WE BE HOMELESS? >> AND MORE HELP FOR WORKING PEOPLE AND FAMILIES WHO HAVE NOWHERE TO GO. MAYBE I FIND A PLACE TO GO. >> AND I'M GOING TO BE OK AND MY KIDS, I'M GOING TO BE OK, WHAT ABOUT THOSE PEOPLE THEY'RE STILL IN PEOPLE OUT

Channel: ABC Action News

Views: 248,620

Keywords: Homeowners, abc action news, affordable housing, citizens property, crisis, florida, insurance, insurance coverage, insurance rates, policies, policy, premiums, price of paradise, property, taxes, taxpayers, wfts

Id: I0EX_dk8KuE

Length: 4min 27sec (267 seconds)

Published: Tue May 24 2022