It's hard.
So that's how life has been for Mallory
Massey since she had a baby three weeks
ago. She's 19, has three
kids, isn't married, and was worried
about what would happen if she couldn't
pay the rent.
I don't know if I would be evicted
every day.
She came here to Dallas County Human
Services. Like thousands of other
homeless and low income people, she got
emergency assistance.
Rent money is desperately needed because
in this area there's a shortage of low
income housing.
Emergency assistance that used to pay the
rent now doesn't even come close.
And thanks to a lawsuit against the
county and budget increases, more
help is now available for those who need
it or rent.
A small family that used to get 200
dollars a month now can get 300.
A larger family now gets 360
rather than 300.
Other assistance is also up
now paying their rent and getting them
adequate groceries.
Not wonderful, but adequate groceries,
getting their utility bills paid.
If those costs are reasonable, then we
can meet those costs.
The outcome of the lawsuit was that we
made some positive improvements and
cleaned up the administration of our
program.
County Judge Lee Jackson says the lawsuit
was the wrong way to go about it, but the
result is the same.
And that means homeless and low income
people in trouble like Mallory Massey
and get the help they need to keep their
families together.