Eyvonne is a senior who has been a member of the Housing Choice Voucher program for 18 years. She drives a school bus for elementary school children in the mornings and afternoons, relying on her housing subsidy to supplement her modest income.
During the pandemic, Eyvonne’s son was released from prison and had nowhere to stay. Eyvonne allowed him to move in with her, even though this was against program rules. The housing authority told her they would terminate her voucher if her son continued to live with her because of his criminal record.
Eyvonne’s son left the household since he did not want her to lose her housing. Homeless, he ultimately caught COVID-19 and passed away. In a fit of grief, guilt, and despair, Eyvonne wrote to the housing authority, asking to leave the program because of how this situation had unfolded.
The housing authority received Eyvonne’s letter and terminated her voucher. Months later, Eyvonne began to recover from the tragedy of her son’s death and requested to get back into the program. The housing authority initially refused, casuing Eyvonne to file a lawsuit against them on her own.
The Court referred Eyvonne to CVLS, and her case was placed with volunteer attorney, Joe Dusek. Joe submitted a formal written request to the housing authority, explaining the full history and requesting reinstatement.
Persuaded by Joe’s heartfelt letter, the housing authority agreed to reinstate Eyvonne rather than continue litigation. Thanks to Joe’s work on this case, Eyvonne can continue to have stable, reliable housing.
