Ninth District Opportunity offering help to low-income families facing eviction

By MJ Kneiser, WLHR

The Ninth District Opportunity has received an increased amount of funding this year to help low-income families avoid a court-ordered eviction.

Michael R. C. Fisher is the Housing and Program Manager for the Ninth District Opportunity in Gainesville.

Fisher said the program is designed to help give low-income a second chance.

“This is for low-income families and their rents have to fall within the guidelines of the fair market rents we work with that are established by HUD,” he said. “It’s not for just anybody. It’s a low-income program. The program will make the landlord whole and get the rent caught up. It will work with the client in active case management to work on the barriers that put the client in that position in the first place so they can move forward with independence and not revisit the same problem a year from now,” Fisher said.

Fisher said 13-County area covered by the Ninth District Opportunity has a lot of households where people are living paycheck to paycheck and one financial set back can destroy their budgets.

“People that are on the cusp of society as far as finances, even the smallest little hiccup, a flat tire, a sick kid can cause a huge impact on their wallet. And so, these things kind of spiral and once it starts, we call it the death spiral, it’s almost impossible for them to get out of it without having reserves,” Fisher explained.

The program to help people facing eviction is not just a blank check.

Fisher said participants must also agree to undergo counseling on how to keep from getting into that situation again.

“It’s not a quick fix. There’s an investment that has to take place on the part of the client to be a part of this program. I also want to emphasize this: in order to qualify, they have to have a writ of possession. It has to be in process. They have to have a court document that verifies that the eviction is in process. They can’t just say the landlord is going to throw me out. That’s the only way we can work with that client,” he explained.

If you are facing eviction or know someone who is, you can contact the Ninth District Opportunity at: 800-822-0179 extension 2026.

A case manager will go over your situation to determine if you meet the eligibility requirements and then refer your case to a local case manager in your county.

The Ninth District Opportunity, Inc. is a private Non-Profit corporation founded in 1967 to carry out the mandate of the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964.

Their primary purpose is to work in partnership with low-income people, promoting access to opportunities leading toward Self-Development, Self-Reliance, and Self-Determination.