Victor Washington fell behind on his rent during the pandemic. He and his landlord, Andrea Sorum, joined forces to keep him in his home.
Source: Andrea Sorum
At one point in the pandemic, Victor Washington was nearly four months behind on his rent.
The problems began soon after he moved into the one-bedroom condo in South Minneapolis in October of 2020. Out of nowhere, a blood clot formed in his right leg and he needed a procedure. At the middle school where he worked as a custodian, he used up all of his paid vacation and sick time to heal.
Then, in December, he got Covid. Washington’s breathing became so bad, he landed in the hospital. He spent eight days there. He missed more work, this time without pay.
Washington had to call his landlord, Andrea Sorum, and tell her that he wasn’t going to be able to come up with his $1,500 rent.
“I explained that I contracted Covid, that I nearly died,” Washington, 41, said.
More from Personal Finance:
No $1,400 stimulus check yet? Here’s what you can do
Fewer kids are going to college because they say it costs too much
Unemployment benefits in jeopardy for Americans stranded overseas
Getting Covid. Falling behind on rent. It’s a common tale in the pandemic.
What happened next, however, is not.
Sorum didn’t threaten to evict Washington, her only tenant. Instead, she thought about how they might raise the money to cover his rent.
“He can’t be evicted,” Sorum, 38, said. “He’s sick. He would not be OK.”
At first, she remembered the references Washington had submitted along with his rental application back in the fall, including one from a good friend and another from his pastor. “They were really good conversations that filled me with a lot of confidence,” Sorum said.
She asked him: Could any of those people give him some cash?
Victor Washington was in the hospital for eight days with Covid-19.
Photo: Victor Washington
Unfortunately, it turned out many in Washington’s community were going through their own hardships. “I have several friends and family members who have died due to Covid,” he said. Others had been laid off. “I’ve experienced more loss than I ever wanted to experience,” he said.
Washington did reach out to his pastor: “I asked him, can you float me $600?”
His pastor said yes, but it wasn’t enough.
By February, Washington owed Sorum more than $5,000.
He was collecting unemployment, but a large share went to child support for his two teenage daughters. He and his wife divorced last year.
And he didn’t know when he’d see his next paycheck.
Three months after Washington was diagnosed with Covid, many of his symptoms persist. Breathing remains difficult. Randomly his heart will start racing. He suffers from fatigue.
“By noon, I’m extremely exhausted,” Washington said. “No amount of coffee or energy drinks can help you when you’re dealing with the aftereffects of Covid.”
His doctor said he shouldn’t expect to return to work until April.
Still, like many landlords during the pandemic, Sorum had her own financial…
Read More: Why one landlord never threatened eviction, despite late rent