Rent Assistance Client in front of his home

In March 2020, life as we knew it stopped. The world was immobilized by the COVID-19 pandemic. In the months that followed, things got worse with a wave of massive unemployment, illness and death.

People experiencing poverty were hit the hardest.

People on the edge, struggling to keep their heads above water, slipped into financial crisis. Our neighbors had no way to pay for housing and basic necessities, including food.

74-year-old Thomas Fair was like millions of Americans living on a fixed income. His side-job as a handyman helped him make ends meet. But when the pandemic started, business stopped. Fair fell behind on rent.

“I had to make the choice of either paying my rent or paying utilities,” Thomas Fair says. “That was upsetting. The money wasn’t there to cover all of the expenses. I needed some help.”

That’s when Thomas Fair contacted SDC. SDC helped Fair receive rental assistance. SDC also helped Fair get FoodShare benefits and financial coaching.

“SDC is a God-send,” Thomas Fair says. “SDC gave me relief so I can go on. I have grandsons. I have a son with four kids and I want to be here for them.”

SDC distributed more than 16 million dollars in state and city emergency COVID- related rental assistance funding to help people like Thomas Fair stay in their homes.

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