The first of the month means rent is due for families everywhere. For unemployed Kendall native Chris Mullins, it means getting creative.
“Both of my jobs just got kinda canceled for the moment with a question mark,” he said.
He’s got plenty of company. More than 3 million Americans applied for unemployment last year.
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Mullins said he and his roommates are able to pay rent and other bills this month, but next month, things might get tighter. Worst case scenario, he’ll trade his electric guitar for cash.
“Other than selling stuff that I own, I don’t know where my income is gonna come from,” he said.
Agencies like the Salvation Army are offering counsel for people in Mullins’ tough spot.
“People don’t need to panic,” said Major Roger Glick of the Salvation Army. ”I believe that everyone understands the magnitude of what we’re facing.”
His advice: reach out to your creditor - relationships matter at a time like this.
“It seems like a hard thing to ask... your banker or your landlord, 'Listen, I need two months of rent reprieve or reduced rent or I need you to just waive it off until I can catch up.' That might seem like a difficult thing, but again I think that people will step up because everyone understands the gravity of the situation.”
If that doesn’t work out, you can reach out to the Salvation Army at salvationarmyusa.org.
Mullins is staying positive, counting on his own adaptability to find new work.
“I’ve actually worked as a carpenter, pressure cleaner, I’ve done a lot of different other work,” he said. “I don’t worry about those things too much.”
