For almost seven years, Amanda González and her partner, Jorge García, rented a room for $ 450 per month in Los Angeles. However, about six months ago the owner asked them to leave because she was going to give the place to her son.
“From there we had nowhere to go . My granddaughter let me keep my things at home but we couldn’t stay with them… She lives at home Section 8 and they don’t let them bring in more people, ”said Amanda, 93 years old and who is a native of El Salvador.
With no other options, the couple opted to convert one of the entrances to Virgil Middle School – located near 1st Street and Vermont – into their temporary home.
Amanda said that that’s how days and nights went by. Sometimes Jorge, who was 65 years old, went to work as a moving porter but lately they no longer gave him a job because he could not carry heavy things due to who suffers from sciatica pain.
For this reason, both were dedicated to collecting cans to obtain money with recycling and to combine it with a small pension that Amanda receives monthly . However, he confesses that it is not enough to pay a rent. “The rents are very expensive,” she laments.
When asked if she does not have more family to help her, she said that two of her eight children have already died and that Although three live in Los Angeles, none can have it in their home since they also receive government aid.
“I came to the United States in the [año] 80, after my son took my papers out, and I worked cleaning houses and picking up boats ”, Amanda recalled.
He added that the son who helped him legalize his immigration status died. Another son she lived with is 71 years old and had his foot amputated so he can no longer work to support it. And her other daughter takes care of her brother, which leaves her without space for Amanda and Jorge to come to live there.
“They started helping me [del gobierno] because I can no longer work because I had back surgery, “said the nonagenarian who assured that she has no plans to return to El Salvador.
The couple is still amazed to see that in the middle of the pandemic they have been able to stay safe.
Amanda said that they wear masks at all times and that she constantly goes to her appointments
She indicated that during their stay on the street, they bathed in their granddaughter’s house and used to eat the food delivered by the school to needy families every day . They slept in a tent.
“It felt good because we no longer got wet but sometimes it flew because it was not buried [anclada al piso]”, he said Amanda.
“Those who worked at the school were witnesses because they always saw us.”
Thus they spent five months on the street including the dates of the end of the year, rain and cold. Amanda said they were probably not kicked out of the school because her husband was in charge of sweeping the area to keep it clean.
She kept her days busy reading “everything ”, Assured the Salvadoran who suffers from arthritis, glaucoma and vertigo.
Unexpected help
At the beginning of the week Amanda said that she fell outside the school and a young woman “with very pretty eyes” who was passing by came to help her.
It was Maritza Vásquez, a resident of the area, who told Real America News that she found out about the case in that incident. In an attempt to help them, he decided to publicize the case on their social networks.
“They had their belongings there and they told me they had been sleeping in the house for several months. street and that they had no family that could help them ”, he said. “They are an elderly couple in need.”
After disclosing the situation, Vásquez was contacted by personnel from the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA ), who promised to help the couple.
Amanda said that on Thursday of this week a LAHSA member arrived in a car and told them she would take them to a hotel where they could live temporarily.
He installed them in a hotel in downtown Los Angeles, which is subsidized by the city of Los Angeles, as part of Project RoomKey — a program that seeks to get vulnerable seniors and those with chronic conditions off the streets.
Ahmad Chapman, a spokesperson for Project RoomKey, said that the main objective is that all the people who arrive there can find a permanent home. However, it has been difficult because of the limited amount of housing in Los Angeles County.
Since Project RoomKey started in May of 2020 in Los Angeles County have helped more than 6, 000 people older than age or with chronic diseases and who are not infected with COVID – 19 to host them in one of their 000 hotels and motels available.
“Of these people, 636 have received permanent housing until 17 which is the latest data available, ”said Chapman.
Without giving the specific details of the couple, the spokesperson said that people arrive at the designated hotel or motel through a service provider that takes care of their stay.
“They are given a well-being and COVID check-up, then they are given a room where they can be temporarily and they receive three meals a day and there is a person who follows your case, ”said Chapman.
People are free to enter and leave rooms as long as they follow the rules of their service provider .
During the time of stay they are helped to create a housing plan and each time there is availability of permanent home it is sent to the person who qualifies.
Recently in the city of Los Angeles, Mayor Eric Garcetti announced that Project RoomKey will be extended until the end of September.
It is expected that by then, at least another 1, 000 people from the city of Los Angeles will be able to obtain help to access a permanent place.
This Friday after several months Amanda and Jorge woke up comfortable in a bed, with hot food and without fear of the weather.
“I didn’t believe it, so much so that I prayed for help,” said Amanda who never lost hope that her life would improve. “It was very hard living on the street but the Bible says ‘Help yourself and make an effort that Jehovah will be with you’”, he concluded.
To help the couple you can visit their GoFundMe page HERE