Outrage: Eviction Threat, Lose Home, No Reason; Relative Used Address,...

Eviction Threat for No Reason

Imagine living somewhere more than three dec­ades, then being threatened with eviction because of the actions of a relative you have virtually no interaction with. That’s what Barbara Gabriel faced earlier this year, after the (HANO) gave her 10 days to vacate her two-bedroom dwelling. The eviction notice came after a nephew was arrested in connection with selling drugs in Gabriel’s complex. His aunt’s address came up as his own after a police check. “I did not give him permission to use my address,” says Gabriel, 58, who moved into the 600-unit Iberville public housing development in 1975. “He doesn’t live with me and he is not on my lease.” Gabriel had been targeted under a established by the in 1996. “One strike” allows housing authorities to evict tenants following one drug-related offense. Desperate to stay in her home, Gabriel contacted Southwest Louisiana Legal Services attorney Renae Davis. Aided by three Rutgers School of Law students working pro bono, Davis successfully defended Gabriel against HANO in court in May. “She didn’t even know at the time that [her nephew] was anywhere near the premises when he was arrested,” Davis says. “She was at work.” HANO filed an appeal, but “I’m almost certain that appeal is going to go away,” HANO spokesman Keith Pettigrew says. “We’re going to make this right.” That works for Gabriel. “I prayed so hard the whole time,” she says of her legal ordeal. “I was scared I would lose my house.”
Blair S. Walker is a writer in Miami.
Cancel You are leaving AARP.org and going to the website of our trusted provider. The provider’s terms, conditions and policies apply. Please return to AARP.org to learn more about other benefits. Your email address is now confirmed. You'll start receiving the latest news, benefits, events, and programs related to AARP's mission to empower people to choose how they live as they age. You can also by updating your account at anytime. You will be asked to register or log in. Cancel Offer Details Disclosures

Close In the next 24 hours, you will receive an email to confirm your subscription to receive emails related to AARP volunteering. Once you confirm that subscription, you will regularly receive communications related to AARP volunteering. In the meantime, please feel free to search for ways to make a difference in your community at Javascript must be enabled to use this site. Please enable Javascript in your browser and try again.