Northeast Ohio Solutions Journalism Collaborative
Willoughby resident Sandy Naffah lost both of her jobs at a school and a beauty salon when the pandemic-related shutdowns went into effect last year. Not long after, she fell behind on rent.
Naffah said she struggled to get help from local agencies, including money to cover rent, because she said her landlord did not submit the proper paperwork. She says after about three months of missed payments, her property manager began calling and harassing her, despite a promise to forgive her back rent due to the pandemic.
“They started texting, emailing, leaving voicemails on my phone, demanding that I make some sort of payment,” she said. “And I saw the writing on the wall that I’m going to end up getting evicted.”