Tenants struggle to pay rent during pandemic

Tenants in Kansas City, Missouri, struggle to make rent amid the coronavirus pandemic.

FOR MANY IN THEMETRO"ANOTHER RENTPAYMENT IS JUST DAYSAWAY " AND WITH MANYOUT OF WORK"MAKINGIT EVEN HARDER TO COMEUP WITH THAT PAYMENT.LAST WEEK -- ON MONDAY--THAT ISSUE PROMPTEDMANY PROTESTERS TOLINE INTERSTATE 70DEMANDING HELP FROMMISSOURI GOVERNOR MIKEPARSON.BUT LATER THAT SAMEDAY -- GOVERNOR PARSONEXPLAINED THAT THEREWILL NOT BE A STATEWIDEPAUSE ON RENT ORMORTGAGE PAYMENTSAND THAT PEOPLE NEEDTO USE THE SYSTEMSALREADY IN PLACE FORHELP.AND NOW -- 41 ACTIONNEWS REPORTER NICKSTARLING SHOWS US HOWSOME ARE TRYING TO GETBY"AND HOWLANDLORDS AREHANDLING THIS.NICK STARLING/41 ACTION NEWSTHIS NEXT RENT PAYMENTBRINGS A LEVEL OFANXIETY FOR MANYPEOPLE WHO ARE NOLONGERWORKING"FIGURING OUTHOW TOPAY"MEANWHILELANDLORDS ARE ALSO IN ATIGHT SPOT.BRANDY GRANADOS SITSON HERPORCHWONDERINGHOW SHE"LL PAYMAY"S RENT.Brandy Granados, tenant who lostjobI was able to pay April andMarch rent with my stimulusbut I have no clue where Mayis coming from.SHE LOST HER JOB AS ATEMP WORKER ATUPS"ANUNFORTUNATELY KNOWSWHAT IT"S LIKE TO NOTHAVE A PLACE TO STAY.Brandy Granados, tenant who lostjobI had a horrible slumlord lastyear and I ended up homelessover the summer and while wewere homeless everything inour storage unit got lostthrough a fire.BRANDY IS TRYING TWORK HER PAYMENTS OUTWITH HER LANDLORD.ON THE FLIPSIDE"LANDLORDS ARETRYING TO MAKE ENDSMEET.Stacey Johnson-Cosby -presidentofthe KC Regional Housing AllianceThe costs for us don"tstop regardless of thesituation is on the ground wewill always have ongoingmaintenance and taxes aninsurance and debts for theproperty to maintain it anyway.LANDLORD STACEYJOHNSON-COSBY SAYSUSUALLY HOMEPROVIDERS CAN WORKSOMETHING OUT WITHTENANTS IF THEYCAN"T PAY.Stacey Johnson-Cosby -presidentofthe KC Regional Housing AllianceWe"re asking that they justreach out to their landlord thatthe tenants reach thelandlords and let them know,hey I"m not going to makemy full rent payment it mightnot make it on time.COSBY-JOHNSON SAYSHOUSING IS A TWO-WAYSTREET"AND BOTHSIDES NEED TO COMETOGETHER DURING THISPANDEMIC.Stacey Johnson-Cosby -presidentofthe KC Regional Housing AllianceWe"re all in this boattogether, we need the tenantsas much as they need us.REPORTING IN KANSASCINICK STARLING41 ACTION NEWS