((PKG)) COVID EVICTION
((Banner: Eviction))
((Reporter: Julie Taboh))
((Camera: Jeremy Gossett, Wilson Vance))
((Adapted by: Zdenko Novacki))
((Map: Kansas City, Missouri))
((Main character: 1 female))
((Sub characters: 2 male; 1 female))
((NATS))
((Krisi Eiland, Evicted Tenant))
I never thought that me and my family would be displaced with the
uncertainty of where to go and what to do next. At this moment, I
am literally waiting for the sheriffs to show up at my front door to
remove me. So, every night I go to sleep, I'm thinking ugh,
tomorrow is the next, you know, tomorrow is the day. Tomorrow
is the day. And then I just go to work.
((NATS))
((Krisi Eiland, Evicted Tenant))
The COVID happened. I was working for a mom-and-pop flooring
company that went under due to the COVID. That same week
that I found out that the company was closing, I immediately got a
job at Family Dollar down the street from here, causing me to take
a four dollar and 50 cent [per hour] decrease in my pay, leaving
me really short rent wise. I really don't have any other expenses
except home expenses, you know, my utilities. I don't have a
vehicle.
((NATS))
((Wilson Vance, Campaign Manager, KC Tenants))
Krisi is one of the thousands of tenants within Jackson County,
Missouri, that has been evicted since our eviction moratorium
expired.
((NATS))
((Wilson Vance, Campaign Manager, KC Tenants))
Krisi was trying to do everything right. She moved into this house
so that her kids could stay at the same school.
((NATS))
((Krisi Eiland, Evicted Tenant))
This room was my bedroom. It did have a king-sized bed in it, my
dresser, everything I own. And now it's got nothing. It had a big
55-gallon [200 liter] fish tank that has now been minimized to a
bucket.
((NATS))
((Krisi Eiland, Evicted Tenant))
It was probably within 45 days or so that I got my paperwork,
court, court again and then, now the ten days is up when am I like
ten days past the ten days. So, it's, I don't know if they can show
up, how long it takes or if they have like a cutoff date.
((SOTs))
I'm just here to change the lock.
You are just here to change the locks.
((Sheriff's Deputy, Jackson County))
The only thing I do is watch him change the locks. I leave. We
don't put anything out. We don't do anything but change the locks
on the door and leave.
((Landlord Representative))
I was raised, you pay your way. You don't pay your way, you pay
the price. That's it. But today, the people are so privileged.
((NATS))
((Krisi Eiland, Evicted Tenant))
I'm just trying to make it as hard for them as possible, whether it
be me knowing that they're coming or being here until the very
last second because most people would already have all their
stuff moved out and done, moved into a new place or whatever,
and I'm choosing to kind of wait it out, I guess you would call that.
So, I don’t want to say I'm giving them a hard time but I kind of
am.
((NATS))
I got everything packed.
((NATS))
((Krisi Eiland, Evicted Tenant))
My ex-husband has the kids as of right now. I mean they will be
returning home as soon as I have one. But, yes, I'm trying to
keep it as normal as possible for them considering everything
going on. So, they are just doing their regular old normal routine
as it would be any other day.
((NATS))
((Krisi Eiland, Evicted Tenant))
I miss the kids laughing. I miss, you know, you take the little stuff
for granted
((Courtesy: Krisi Eiland))
whenever you do it every single day. I miss eating dinner at the
table every day. I miss everything: giving the kids a bath, the
giggling and laughing for sure. There's been no laughter at all in
this place over the last 15 days. Since the whole eviction thing
started and my kids not been with me like normal, I started a-
note-a-day-while-you're-away box. So, I write them a note every
night when I get home from work or after I sit down and I put it in
this box
((Courtesy: Krisi Eiland))
so that whenever this is all over and we have a new home, they
know that I thought about them every single day and every single
night, until we are reunited again.
((NATS))
((Krisi Eiland, Evicted Tenant))
You know, my kids are safe. So, that's most important, you know,
that they don't have to be a part of the whole carrying our stuff out
of the house and all of that.
((NATS))
((Krisi Eiland, Evicted Tenant))
Being depressed and sad is just not going to get me any further
than trying to just stay positive in taking it one day at a time. And
I know this isn’t going to last forever. There will be another, you
know, there will be an uphill incline eventually. I can only go so
far down before it's got to go back up, right.
((NATS))
((Popup Banner:
A temporary, federal halt to evictions has protected many but not
all renters. After her eviction, Krisi Eiland has struggled to find
new housing.))
((Banner: Eviction))
((Reporter: Julie Taboh))
((Camera: Jeremy Gossett, Wilson Vance))
((Adapted by: Zdenko Novacki))
((Map: Kansas City, Missouri))
((Main character: 1 female))
((Sub characters: 2 male; 1 female))
((NATS))
((Krisi Eiland, Evicted Tenant))
I never thought that me and my family would be displaced with the
uncertainty of where to go and what to do next. At this moment, I
am literally waiting for the sheriffs to show up at my front door to
remove me. So, every night I go to sleep, I'm thinking ugh,
tomorrow is the next, you know, tomorrow is the day. Tomorrow
is the day. And then I just go to work.
((NATS))
((Krisi Eiland, Evicted Tenant))
The COVID happened. I was working for a mom-and-pop flooring
company that went under due to the COVID. That same week
that I found out that the company was closing, I immediately got a
job at Family Dollar down the street from here, causing me to take
a four dollar and 50 cent [per hour] decrease in my pay, leaving
me really short rent wise. I really don't have any other expenses
except home expenses, you know, my utilities. I don't have a
vehicle.
((NATS))
((Wilson Vance, Campaign Manager, KC Tenants))
Krisi is one of the thousands of tenants within Jackson County,
Missouri, that has been evicted since our eviction moratorium
expired.
((NATS))
((Wilson Vance, Campaign Manager, KC Tenants))
Krisi was trying to do everything right. She moved into this house
so that her kids could stay at the same school.
((NATS))
((Krisi Eiland, Evicted Tenant))
This room was my bedroom. It did have a king-sized bed in it, my
dresser, everything I own. And now it's got nothing. It had a big
55-gallon [200 liter] fish tank that has now been minimized to a
bucket.
((NATS))
((Krisi Eiland, Evicted Tenant))
It was probably within 45 days or so that I got my paperwork,
court, court again and then, now the ten days is up when am I like
ten days past the ten days. So, it's, I don't know if they can show
up, how long it takes or if they have like a cutoff date.
((SOTs))
I'm just here to change the lock.
You are just here to change the locks.
((Sheriff's Deputy, Jackson County))
The only thing I do is watch him change the locks. I leave. We
don't put anything out. We don't do anything but change the locks
on the door and leave.
((Landlord Representative))
I was raised, you pay your way. You don't pay your way, you pay
the price. That's it. But today, the people are so privileged.
((NATS))
((Krisi Eiland, Evicted Tenant))
I'm just trying to make it as hard for them as possible, whether it
be me knowing that they're coming or being here until the very
last second because most people would already have all their
stuff moved out and done, moved into a new place or whatever,
and I'm choosing to kind of wait it out, I guess you would call that.
So, I don’t want to say I'm giving them a hard time but I kind of
am.
((NATS))
I got everything packed.
((NATS))
((Krisi Eiland, Evicted Tenant))
My ex-husband has the kids as of right now. I mean they will be
returning home as soon as I have one. But, yes, I'm trying to
keep it as normal as possible for them considering everything
going on. So, they are just doing their regular old normal routine
as it would be any other day.
((NATS))
((Krisi Eiland, Evicted Tenant))
I miss the kids laughing. I miss, you know, you take the little stuff
for granted
((Courtesy: Krisi Eiland))
whenever you do it every single day. I miss eating dinner at the
table every day. I miss everything: giving the kids a bath, the
giggling and laughing for sure. There's been no laughter at all in
this place over the last 15 days. Since the whole eviction thing
started and my kids not been with me like normal, I started a-
note-a-day-while-you're-away box. So, I write them a note every
night when I get home from work or after I sit down and I put it in
this box
((Courtesy: Krisi Eiland))
so that whenever this is all over and we have a new home, they
know that I thought about them every single day and every single
night, until we are reunited again.
((NATS))
((Krisi Eiland, Evicted Tenant))
You know, my kids are safe. So, that's most important, you know,
that they don't have to be a part of the whole carrying our stuff out
of the house and all of that.
((NATS))
((Krisi Eiland, Evicted Tenant))
Being depressed and sad is just not going to get me any further
than trying to just stay positive in taking it one day at a time. And
I know this isn’t going to last forever. There will be another, you
know, there will be an uphill incline eventually. I can only go so
far down before it's got to go back up, right.
((NATS))
((Popup Banner:
A temporary, federal halt to evictions has protected many but not
all renters. After her eviction, Krisi Eiland has struggled to find
new housing.))
