ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Orange County's Crisis Assistance hotline is dealing with a huge demand for help. The program offers families immediate assistance paying for rent, mortgage or utility bills, but one mother told WFTV she hasn't been able to get through to the line for weeks.
When WFTV met single mom Danea Figueroa at her apartment it was already cleared out. She put most of her things in storage, because she expects to be evicted since the rent is overdue.
"I have basically until Friday," she told WFTV reporter Eric Rasmussen.
"And then what?" Rasmussen asked.
"I don't know," she said.
Figueroa showed WFTV how she's been trying to call Orange County's Crisis Assistance hotline for help, but she can't get through.
"We, we just can't meet the need," said Debbie Aska-Graham, Orange County Family Services.
Orange County's Family Services Department said it's getting about 250 calls a day. The Crisis Assistance Program offers people one-time, emergency help with things like rent or utilities. Demand is up 30 percent from last year, but the department's budget hasn't seen an increase since 2008.
"Our fiscal component estimated we're only meeting ten percent of the need in Orange County," she said.
Managers say that the sudden hang up people like Figueroa experienced happens when the cue is already full and it's the only thing keeping the entire phone system from crashing.
"We're doing the best we could possibly do with what we got," said Debbie Aska-Graham said.
The county said it can't increase its staff of just three operators, but they're referring callers to other services like 211 when they aren't able to help.