To get financial assistance from a social services organization to pay her rent, Monica Hooks needs her landlord to sign a form provided by the Department of Housing and Urban Development
A Florida woman and pastor who served in the U.S. Army is now at the mercy of her landlord, who refuses to sign a form that would enable an anti-homelessness organization to contribute to her rent and prevent her from being evicted from her home, according to a report.
First Coast News reported that Monica Hooks, in order to stay at her Jacksonville, Florida, apartment, needs her landlord to sign a form provided by the Department of Housing and Urban Development detailing certain housing protections for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault.
The form is a measure that was instituted with the passing of the Violence Against Women Act, a federal law that, according to the Department of Housing and Urban Development , bars landlords participating in certain HUD programs from discriminating against victims who have experienced domestic violence or sexual assault. Tenants covered under this act cannot be evicted or denied housing on the basis of their abuse.