Housing Judge Claudia Baio in court Tuesday.
Roxanne Ibrahim served as her own lawyer — and succeeded in delaying her eviction, with the possibility of resolving the dispute rather than having to leave.
That happened in state housing court in New Haven Tuesday.
A limited liability corporation registered to another limited liability corporation headquartered on Park Avenue in New York City sued Ibrahim in December 2020 for eviction over failure to pay more than six months of rent on the property it owns on Mill Street in East Haven.
Ibrahim did not show up to previous court proceedings in her case. Tuesday’s hearing was scheduled to actually execute the eviction.
Then Ibrahim appeared at Tuesday’s virtual hearing (by phone, not by video).
“I’ve been making rent payments,” she insisted, telling Superior Court Judge Claudia Baio that she lost hours while working in the Yale New Haven Hospital system and was denied rental assistance.
“I’ve been doing all this on my own with no help,” she said, adding that she also has a son who currently lives with her.
Ibrahim does receive federal Section 8 assistance, which pays a portion of her rent. But she is still responsible for paying $860 a month. Because she missed rental payments, she is now paying extra each month to try to bring her arrearage down.
“I’ve been trying,” she said in the hearing. “It’s not like I’m not paying. I need to buy food. I’m facing hardship right now. I can’t afford to get evicted, I don’t have nowhere to go.”
Attorney Lane.
Attorney Elliot Lane, representing the landlord (140 Mill St. LLC, which is listed in state records as being owned by a separate limited-liability corporation called ER Properties Fund), confirmed to the court that Ibrahim has in fact been paying some money. But he expressed exasperation that the defendant took so long to appear before the court.
“We’re here on a request for execution because she’s said absolutely nothing for 100 days, and now she’s here to plead her case,” he said.
Even so, Attorney Lane and his client proposed a stay of execution until June 30, due to the tenant’s efforts and continued payments.
Judge Baio agreed with the proposal and additionally sent the two parties to mediation, to try and find a more long-term agreement.
“Thank you,” the tenant said as she left the hearing. “Thank you so much.”
More info on related issues, organizations:
Local Learn: Connecticut Coalition To End Homelessness
National Act: National Alliance To End Homelessness
Local Act: Empower underserved communities in Connecticut
Local Learn: New Haven community wealth-building initiatives
National Act: Organizations that support community development
Isn't it crazy that a person who works in the Yale New Haven Health system is earning so little money that they qualify for Section 8?
Someone who lost wages due to the pandemic who is in a hospital related job?
And that someone who is making extra payments now in an attempt to make up their missing rent payments from when they lost income? And that they don't qualify for rental assistance because they aren't considered "poor enough" even though their income took a hit during lost income job hours cutbacks related to the pandemic?
A portion of the pandemic relief money given from the federal or state to the cities and towns should go towards helping tenants and landlords and small business owners to navigate the application process to getting the available funds for rental and utility bill and mortgage relief from the state and federal government. The funds set up for helping people in need of this assistance aren't being accessed by the people it is intending to help, because they need help applying for the assistance and navigating the entire process.
A lot of otherwise good tenants are unfamiliar with their legal rights or the legal process or are overwhelmed and limited in their access to transportation, childcare or are working extra hours and find it difficult to get the time off needed to handle the situation without compromising their employment or income.