Mother of two faces eviction after ex-husband and initial lease holder abandons family
Hernandez says her landlord threatened her eviction over an $18,292.58 debt — unpaid rent her ex-husband left behind when he also abandoned his family.
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Maria Hernandez, a mother of two, says she’s being forced out of the Bushwick apartment she’s lived in for two decades.
Hernandez says her landlord threatened her eviction over an $18,292.58 debt — unpaid rent her ex-husband left behind when he also abandoned his family.
Since he walked out, Hernandez says she’s been paying rent every month and even requested a payment plan to help with what is owed.
The landlord has refused to give her a new lease, and instead scheduled an eviction by the marshals on Dec. 8.
Her story has gained attention from neighbors, tenant advocates and even elected officials—all of whom signed letters in support of her.
Since her apartment is a rent-stabilized unit, it should include protections, like succession rights for longtime family members living in the unit.
Now, after several calls for action, the city’s Human Resources Administration is finally agreeing to step in with emergency rental assistance funds and pay off the $18,000 debt.
“My youngest son asked me, ‘Are we not going to live on the street anymore?’,” said Hernandez. “I told him not everything is good, but things are moving forward. I really do it for them. I’ve always said it before, if I were by myself, I would have left the apartment to the owner.”
Although she’s been approved for the city’s assistance, the money has not yet started rolling out to the landlord.
The eviction by the marshal is still scheduled for next Monday, but the hope is that the landlord will accept a new offer and change his mind about Hernandez and her two kids.
