Miguel Valencia has a court date on July 29. He’s facing eviction from his home in Garland, just northeast of Dallas. He’s two months behind on the rent for his house, which has been in disrepair due to foundation problems since he moved there in 2019.
After about a year of reporting the problems—cracks in the walls, doors unable to close—Valencia’s building management company agreed to fix the issues. But Valencia, along with his mother and younger brother who live with him, couldn’t be onsite during the renovations, so they were hit with a non-renewal notice. Valencia had nowhere to go, so the company agreed to let the family stay for two more months with the caveat that rent would go up by $500 per month.
“I can’t pay what they’re asking for and then still have enough money to move,” Valencia said. “They just made it really difficult for me. I have no credit. They just put that eviction on my record, so it made it even hard for me to find another place for my family.”
