SWFL veteran’s family faces uncertain future after eviction once mortarium ended

The Thompson family had already fallen on hard times before the governor’s eviction moratorium ended in the state. They were worried about losing their home, and they did. After that, they hopped from hotel to hotel, and their kids have started to miss some school.

Veteran Alexx Thompson, a father of four, told us he and his wife tried to submit the forms for the CDC’s eviction moratorium one week after the governor’s eviction moratorium ended. But they were turned away. Now, their future is uncertain.

Thomson never expected that he, his wife and his four children — 2 years old, 6 years old, 10 years old and 11 years old — would have to call a hotel home.

“Having a wife and kids, it’s kind of surreal because you don’t know where you’re going to go, what you’re going to do,” Thompson said.

Thompson served in the U.S. Army. He and his wife both lost their jobs because of the pandemic and say it’s hard getting back on their feet.

“Been working maybe two, three days a month to try and make things work, but it’s just not enough work,” Thompson said. “No help, no stimulus package or anything like that since April.”

The governor’s eviction moratorium helped them out. It bought them time. When it ended, they hoped the CDC’s moratorium would help them out too, but it didn’t go as planned.

“They said that our case was closed and that there had been a final judgment, so we couldn’t submit the paper to the court,” Thompson said. “We got back home, and an hour later, the deputy, the Collier County Sheriff’s Office posted a final notice of eviction for 24 hours.”

The Thompsons took their four kids, put their stuff in storage and headed to a hotel and then another.

“It’s been very stressful, especially with my kids,” Thompson said. “They’ve had to miss school.”

Thompson said, with all of the bouncing around, it’s been hard to get a school bus to pick the kids up and take them to school in Everglades City, but he says the school district is working on a solution. Supportive services for veterans and families is helping pay for the hotel, but the family hopes to find a stable home soon.

Now, they’re just holding on to hope and holding onto each other until they can call another place, a permanent place, home.

“Anything at this point would help us tremendously,” Thompson said.