LAFAYETTE, La. (KLFY) As more businesses are being forced to shut their doors during the coronavirus pandemic, many people are wondering where their next paycheck will come from.
“We’re hard working citizens. We’re not out here causing havoc. We’re hard-working like a lot of other people that’s being displaced and we just want to know, what’s going to happen to us at Days Inn? What’s gonna happen?” Suzanne Simpson asked. “Are we gonna get kicked out? Are we going to have to sleep outside because no shelters are open?”
Last week, President Trump said the Department of Housing and Urban Development will suspend all foreclosures and evictions through the end of April.
Simpson and her family, however, live in a hotel and are wondering what will happen to them.
Simpson, Shantel Richardon and their 18-year-old daughter were recently displaced from their home because of maintenance issues.
For the last few months, they’ve been living in a Days Inn in Lafayette.
They were comfortable, until businesses started shutting down and shortening business hours.
“In a day, you’re out of a job. No fault of your own, you’re out of a job,” Richardson said.
Richardson was a server at Abblebee’s. Last week, she was laid off.
Simpson, a Dollar Tree cashier, says she can’t even made $100 a week now because they cut her hours.
They’re now wondering how much longer they can afford to live in their hotel room.
“I even called a few fast food jobs trying to see what I can do to try to get a job in the meantime, but they’re not hiring,” Richardson said.
As the government places restrictions on evictions and foreclosures, Simpson and Richardson say they feel like they’re being forgotten about.
“What about us? What about us that are in these hotels? What do we do? Where do we go?” Simpson asked.
It’s a question they haven’t been able to get an answer to.
The women say their worst fear is that they could end up homeless.
News Ten spoke with management at the Days Inn who said they will accommodate residents affected by COVID-19 as long as they can.
