SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. – Any minute, someone right here in central Florida could be one bill away from losing their home. That’s the reality for more than 107,000 people in Orange, Osceola, and Seminole counties who are spending more than 40% of what they make on trying to keep a roof over their heads.
As the cost of living keeps going up, so does the number of people in need of help. In Seminole County, there’s now expanded access to free legal assistance for low-income tenants facing housing challenges. It’s a resource provided by Seminole County Legal Aid (SCLA) in a space that’s now available, thanks to the Clerk of Court.
As of March 17, anyone can walk into the Sanford Courthouse near Lake Monroe to get immediate assistance and hopefully resolve whatever housing issue they are facing.
Yvonne Alonso, an attorney with SCLA, says the office helps with eviction defense, rental disputes, security deposit issues, or maintenance concerns.
“It’s people who are living in situations where there’s mold, where there is a rat infestation, where there is a pest infestation, cockroaches,” said Alonso. “Something like that, and they just cannot repair it themselves. So, they need help. They need help to live comfortably.”
Alonso says SCLA has witnessed a growing number of people who are unable to secure or maintain housing in Seminole County in recent years.
Numbers for the annual Point-in-Time count that were just released this month show 420 people were experiencing homelessness in Seminole County in one day, a 53% increase from the previous year. About 163 of them were not staying in a shelter. Seventy-seven were families with children.
Alonso says the work being done by SCLA will hopefully reduce the number of homeless in our community.
“We’re trying to help people not only resolve the actual problems but help them head off the problem. To teach and educate them what they need to do in order to protect their rights and protect their interests,” said Alonso. “Education can help, but also hands-on assistance can help, and that’s what we’re here to do. Both.”
Since October, Alonso said SCLA has helped about 160 people experiencing housing challenges in Seminole County.
Linda Jackson, a senior with three adopted children, was facing eviction before her attorney, Shannon Smythe, stepped in.
“I took on these children. I love them. I promised I would have a place for them to stay, food on the table, and they’re trying to make it impossible for me to do that,” said Jackson. “All they had to do was fix the place up.”
Jackson said she and her children had packed up what they could while dealing with ongoing maintenance issues. A deputy was just 15 minutes away when she got notice from SCLA that she would have until April 17th for a judge to hear her case.
“When I met Ms. Jackson, she was at that point where they had posted the writ on her door. So, she had 24 hours,” said Smythe. “I had to write a motion to the court in order to stay that because she should have had a hearing to determine how much rent she actually owed.”
Jackson said that without Smythe’s help, she wouldn’t have had a place for her family to go.
“We would have been homeless,” said Jackson. “I can’t really put into words. Now, my children can lay down in a bed and have a place to stay because of this program.”
Smythe says small victories like that are why this work can be so rewarding.
“It’s very rewarding knowing that her children, at least until the 17th when we have our hearing, they’re stable,” said Smythe. “And it’s very rewarding when you can go, ‘I understand you’re in this situation, but we can work out this deal and now you get to stay here. And now you don’t have to worry about being evicted because we’ve worked with the landlord and now this is taken care of. Or that issue maintenance you’ve had for the last three months, they’re taking care of it.‘”
If you are interested in legal help from SCLA, it’s free and available at the Sanford Courthouse Monday – Thursday, 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
SCLA is also hosting free seminars to help low-income residents understand their rights and how to properly withhold rent or terminate a lease. Find more information on that below.
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Location: Sanford Courthouse, 301 N. Park Ave.
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When: 1:00-2:00 p.m. Every second and fourth Wednesday of the month
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Call: 407-834-1660