GREENSBORO, N.C. — A pandemic before the pandemic.
That's how the Greensboro Housing Coalition's executive director explains affordable housing in the Triad.
As coronavirus rages on, we're finding better ways to cope with it. But, when it comes to housing, Josie Williams fears, if the situation doesn't improve, we could be facing a crisis - comparable to the one in 2008.
"You see people that are already living paycheck to paycheck. You see our most vulnerable spending over 30 percent of their income on basic needs where they have to make decisions between paying rent, eating, or paying a utility bill," Williams said, "This could be very much worse than what we saw in 2008. We didn't have COVID-19 in 2008 - and you remember how drastic that was."
Williams, the organization's new executive director says, this was the reality pre-pandemic. Now, the virus is compounding those issues, creating a widespread ripple effect.
"It's not just about, oh well, that's just low-income individuals," she said, "When our housing structure is impacted in the way that it is, that is going to impact you, me, and everyone across the city."
In three weeks, they've received about 800 applications for rental and utility assistance - this funding provided by the city through the CARES Act.
Williams says the more than $700k allotted to help will likely be depleted in about three months - but the need will remain.
"The numbers are steadily increasing by the minute. I'm not exaggerating - by the minute, like literally by the minute," she said.
She says, that's why additional funding - promised this week by the Governor - is so crucial, and why the understanding of this need is vital.
"Housing is a core economic stimulus to our structure in our city and our state."
Williams estimates the Housing Coalition will receive about 1,000 assistance applications by the end of the weekend.
