Constituent Success Stories: Housing
This year has been filled with uncertainty and economic hardship. During these difficult times, I want you to know our office is just a phone call away to assist you.
While my team and I have been working around the clock to secure resources, send updates, and work on important pieces of legislation, our office remains committed to doing what we can to resolve any challenges that arise for our constituents, especially those concerning federal agencies.
I’d like to share with you a few ways we can help you navigate one of these challenges — Housing.
Right here in PA-05, there are thousands of our neighbors only one unexpected expense away from being unable to make rent. This public health crisis and the resulting financial crisis have only made it worse, illuminating many inequities in our country, particularly in the areas of housing, health, and economic security.
Housing is foundational to economic security and I remain committed to doing everything I can at the federal level to keep people in their homes.
I want to share with you a few ways our office has helped constituents secure housing:
Sylvia is a 100-year-old constituent who was on the verge of getting evicted from her assisted living community. She had spent most of her savings on the assisted living facility and was quickly running out of money. Her daughter, Kathy, had spent years trying to file a claim with the VA for spousal benefits but was denied. Not understanding why the claim was being denied, she reached out to the Delco VA but was met with more roadblocks — They had lost her paperwork.
Frustrated, confused, and overwhelmed, Kathy reached out to our office for help. Our casework team was able to locate and review their denial letter. We soon got to the bottom of what was missing that resulted in the denial and contacted the VA immediately. We worked with numerous VA departments to make sure proper documentation was submitted and requested the case to be immediately expedited due to her age. In a little over a month, she was awarded back pay of over $12,000 and an additional $1228 a month for the rest of Sylvia’s life to cover any cost moving forward.
Jim is a 64-year-old constituent who was homeless and living in his car when he reached out to us. He contacted our office inquiring about how we could help with the delays in housing inspection due to COVID-19 he was experiencing. We immediately reached out to the Delaware County Housing Authority. Because Jim didn’t have access to a computer, we worked with DCHA to create and manage a web account for him. Within the week, Jim was able to move into a place of his own just in time for the holidays.
*Sylvia, Kathy, and Jim are pseudonyms given to protect the anonymity of these constituents.
We are committed to doing all we can to meet the needs of our constituents during this challenging time. If you need help with a federal agency, please call 610 — 626 — 2020. You will be connected, via phone, to a constituent services representative who will assist you.
