TYLER, Texas — In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in millions of people losing their jobs. It later led many to lose their homes, limiting their living options, or forcing them into homelessness.
Two years later, another issue is at the forefront -- higher rent prices and inflation which are causing more people to seek financial assistance to stay afloat.
People Attempting to Help (PATH) averages about 500 calls a month from people seeking financial rental assistance.
“It’s really shocking as an organization the number of phone calls we get,” said PATH executive director Andrea Wilson-Labauge. "There are an incredible number of people looking for financial assistance right now.”
With the high volume of phone calls coming in, the organization is given about $13,000 - $14,000 in federal funds and grants, per month, to hand out for financial rental assistance. Wilson says depending on the dollar amount, it limits how many people they can help.
“About 15 to 20 families is what the expense is that we're able to meet on a monthly basis and we do have to say 'no' a lot and it's definitely a hard thing,” Wilson-Labauge added.
Mary Jiles, a volunteer receptionist at PATH, is one of the first ones to receive some of those phone calls from people seeking help.
Jiles also has a personal connection to each one, as she knows what it’s like to fall on hard times.
“I’ve been homeless with four children to raise, I’ve been without food, unable to pay my light bill and I’ve lost a job before,” Jiles said. "If you’ve been where people are, it will make you really show compassion to them.”
The compassion stretches beyond the walls at PATH. Gateway to Hope is also helping people with housing costs for those who may not qualify for rental assistance.
“We've definitely seen more individuals come in with the issue of not being able to afford to live in regular housing and so they're forced out of that into the homeless shelters into the streets,” Walter Merop, case manager at Gateway to Hope, said. “They fallen on hard times, we're gonna do everything we can to find housing for them, some sort of emergency shelter we will find something.”