In the early days of the pandemic, factories furloughed staff, restaurants closed their doors, hotels sat empty, and nobody traveled. As a result, some lost jobs. Others lost a few paychecks. And still others were forced to quit their jobs to stay home and care for children who couldn’t attend in-person school.

For those living on tight budgets, this was devastating. As families lost income and struggled to pay rent, moratoriums (CDC and state of Illinois) on residential evictions were established and then extended over time as the situation continued. The goal of this moratorium was to prevent homelessness and decrease the possibility of COVID-19 spreading in shelters.

Despite the moratorium, many families continue to face eviction. In fact, it is estimated that tens of thousands of individuals have been evicted since the start of the moratorium. It’s not blanket protection, and many renters find that they are not covered. Restrictions apply and tenants must submit a declaration affirming their eligibility. In short, the risk of homelessness due to eviction is still very real.

Catholic Charities, Diocese of Joliet, has long provided a variety of housing programs for individuals and families who are homeless or at-risk of experiencing homelessness. The agency also operates two shelters within the Diocese of Joliet to serve those who are facing homelessness. The financial stress on households during the pandemic created a greater need for help with housing.

The Felician Sisters of North America wanted to help those experiencing a housing crisis at the hands of the pandemic. In December, they partnered with Catholic Charities USA to develop the Francis Fund for Eviction Protection. Each organization contributed $1 million each to get started. The Francis Fund is an emergency fund established to assist those who are in extreme danger of losing their homes.

Catholic Charities, Diocese of Joliet, was awarded $10,000 from the Francis Fund. This funding assisted five families (a total of 12 individuals) in the Kankakee area with rent in order to avoid eviction. A household with six individuals was helped in Kendall County as well as a family of four in Will County.

Tracey (her name was changed for privacy reasons) and her family benefited from the Francis Fund through Catholic Charities in Kankakee County. She is a single parent with five children, one of whom has a serious disability. Before the pandemic, Tracey worked the breakfast and lunch shifts as a waitress at a local diner. When the diner was forced to serve only carryout meals for several months at the beginning of the pandemic, Tracey’s income was seriously cut.

She was also facing challenges at home. Her five children were all at home during the day doing e-learning for school, which made it difficult for Tracey to keep daytime hours at the diner. Then, several family members contracted COVID-19 in December and although their symptoms were mild, she was forced to miss weeks of work due to the isolation period. The family was in danger of eviction.

Through the Francis Fund, Catholic Charities was able to assist Tracey’s family with rent. She then worked with her landlord to implement an arrangement to prevent eviction court proceedings. Tracey and her family were able to stay safely in their home.

Catholic Charities, Diocese of Joliet, wishes to thank Catholic Charities USA and the Felician Sisters of North America for helping the agency serve those within our diocese who were facing eviction during the pandemic. We are grateful for the support of our mission to care for the poor and vulnerable within the diocese.

Catholic Charities is a faith-based organization providing service to people in need and calling others of good will to do the same. To learn more about our housing and homeless prevention programs, visit catholiccharitiesjoliet.org.