CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Families who are already struggling, living in hotels and motels, are now worried they will be evicted because of lost pay due to the coronavirus.
Channel 9 has received dozens of calls about this issue and reporter Tina Terry has been following this for days.
Monday, we obtained a letter from North Carolina’s Attorney General Josh Stein. In it, he warns that the 30-day halt on evictions issued by the state’s chief justice applies to people living in hotels as well. Later in the day, the halt on evictions was extended to June 1.
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Stein sent the letter to several hotels throughout the state.
Stein said that the current crisis poses enormous challenges to people’s health and ability to make even minimal housing payments.
[LINK: LEGAL AID OF NORTH CAROLINA]
For days, people have reached out to Channel 9 saying the COVID-19 pandemic has left them without a job or money to pay for their hotels.
Laura Thompson, 51, has been searching for a job in the middle of the pandemic.
She needs money to pay rent at the south Charlotte hotel she lives in.
“I just do what I have to do -- try to keep food in my stomach and a roof over my head, because I would hate to be homeless in the street. I’m too old for that,” Thompson said.
Officials said if you are challenged about this by a hotel manager, you can call the AG’s office at 1-877 NO SCAM
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