ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – A 24-year federal employee who faced having his Anchorage apartment lease terminated says the record government shutdown is creating a financial crisis for essential workers nationwide, particularly in states such as Alaska where local regulations show virtually no eviction protections exist.
“This company has put me through a nightmare,” Weidner Apartment Homes resident Daniel Becker said. “If you can imagine being an essential federal worker that’s required to perform their duties while at the same time trying to worry about the eviction notice that you just got on your door, it is extremely stressful and Weidner had the opportunity to exercise business flexibility and compassion, and they chose not to.”
Becker, who requested keeping his federal employer private, provided Alaska’s News Source with a series of messages outlining various correspondences he had with Weidner staff starting in October. Those documents include:
- Oct. 1: Federal employer sends Becker letter addressing government shutdown
- Oct. 31: Weidner Apartment Homes letter requests recent paystubs to prove Becker’s employment
- Nov. 3: Weidner Apartment Homes issues notice “to terminate tenancy for nonpayment of rent” with a Nov. 10 payment deadline
- Nov. 5: Becker’s federal employer sends Weidner letter addressing shutdown
- Nov. 6: Weidner Apartment Homes sends three communications with conflicting deadlines: a notice with a Nov. 13 deadline, an email with a Nov. 14 deadline, and a voicemail with a Nov. 17 deadline.
Becker said based on correspondence between the company and his employer, and a partial rent payment made at the beginning of November, he was under the impression Weidner staff were going to work with him…