A military veteran in the Mojave neighborhood is feeling increasingly anxious as he faces eviction while waiting for housing assistance that has yet to arrive.
Chris McCleave shakes with worry when he considers his uncertain housing situation. The veteran tells me he’s about to be evicted because the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA) has yet to fulfill his Section 8 housing transfer request.
“It’s very frustrating. Very frustrating. McCleave added that there was also a lot of emotional stress and anxiety about not knowing.
McCleave is currently unemployed and makes money by streaming video games on Twitch. He explains that he injured his right knee during Army training, and that after leaving the military, he struggled with drug addiction but overcame it.
“Everything in Los Angeles was just becoming too expensive. “I couldn’t survive out there anymore,” McCleave admitted.
Despite his efforts to prepare for his move to Mojave by scheduling the transfer early, McCleave claims HACLA has not responded to his requests, putting him at risk of losing his apartment.
His uncle, Michael Henderson, is concerned about what will happen if his nephew loses his housing.
“I believe they are probably understaffed and underfunded, but they should be speaking with these people, particularly in the military. They helped us. “I really believe we should hold someone accountable for this situation,” Henderson stated.
I reached out to HACLA for comment, but they did not respond to my interview request.
McCleave is still hopeful for a resolution to his situation.
“I’m just hoping for some type of contact with my worker so that I can get a new voucher and be secure here,” McCleave told me.
While McCleave enjoys living in Mojave and wishes to remain in our community, he fears becoming homeless if his housing transfer is not processed soon.
