Ms. Xi lacked peace in her own apartment and felt burdened by a seemingly hopeless situation. She had rented out a room to be able to afford her apartment, but the roommate quickly tried to harass Ms. Xi out of her own home. First were the demands for renovations. Then came the complaint calls to 311. Then calls to adult protective services, claiming the elderly Ms. Xi was incapacitated and could not care for herself. The complaints and investigations were constant!
Open Hands was at a local food pantry when Ms. Xi came. She was distraught over the thought of losing her home, and welcomed the prayer and comfort from volunteers. She was overjoyed that Open Hands could help her stay in the apartment, and that this advice and help were free!
The attorneys provided Ms. Xi with the forms and a breakdown of the process to begin a roommate eviction case. The tenant did end up vacating the room once Ms. Xi began to take the steps to evict her.
She was also provided with a formal, high quality, roommate lease that will protect her from harassment in the future. The fear that engulfed Ms. Xi's life for months was replaced with a sense of empowerment!