ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Back when she was a special needs school teacher, Shola Ann Patterson-Johnson remembers hearing stories about Orlando-area children living in hotels. She’d listen in disbelief to parents explaining why their kids missed school so often: Because they didn’t have anywhere stable to stay.

Patterson-Johnson never imagined that just a few years later, she and her own five children might be in a similar position.

“When people told me how difficult it was to get help, I didn't believe them,” Patterson-Johnson said. “And then I had the audacity to believe that I would never go through it — because I'm a veteran, at least.”

Patterson-Johnson served with the U.S. Air Force Security Forces until 2012. She completed five years of active duty, followed by four years with the Active Guard Reserve. Now Patterson-Johnson receives disability benefits from the VA for traumas suffered during her service time — but those payment amounts decreased this month, for reasons she doesn’t completely understand. She said her medical situation hasn’t changed, and doctors still advise her to only seek employment that can offer certain accommodations.

With less money now coming in, Patterson-Johnson’s gotten behind on her electric bill. She anticipates she’ll soon get behind on the rent. But no matter how many times she calls 211, she said she hears the same response. Again and again, 211 operators and community assistance program administrators tell her: “you don’t qualify.”

The problem, Patterson-Johnson said, is that her situation isn’t quite bad enough — yet — to merit assistance, according to program guidelines. She’s not homeless at the moment, and she’s not behind on her rent. But she anticipates that day is just around the corner.

And by then, it might be too late to save her home.

“Why should my children have to experience homelessness, or living in a shelter, in order to get help?” Patterson-Johnson asked. “I see that coming.”

States and local governments are currently waiting on more funds from the latest federal coronavirus relief bill, which included $25 billion in emergency rent assistance. Florida is slated to receive $1.4 billion total; some will be distributed to eligible local governments, including Osceola County. 

As localities await more funding, The National Low Income Housing Coalition has released a guide of best practices for state and local emergency rental assistance programs. The guidelines were created based on feedback the NLIHC received from program administrators across the country responsible for distributing the first round of federal COVID-19 relief.

One recommendation is that states and local governments should have more flexibility in how they administer rental assistance this time around, including when it comes to determining applicants’ eligibility for funding. Going forward, local pandemic assistance programs should be able to “discourage burdensome documentation requirements,” according to the NLIHC’s best practices guide. 

That could help people who find themselves struggling with pre-existing issues intensified by the coronavirus pandemic — like Patterson-Johnson, who’s no stranger to hardship. She and her children have already experienced two short bouts of homelessness in the last couple of years, she said. The first time, Patterson-Johnson said she and her landlord disagreed over repairs and an expiring, month-to-month lease agreement. The second time, Patterson-Johnson said the VA helped her find a home to rent, but it turned out to be a Craigslist scam.

Now, Patterson-Johnson’s in a comfortable Kissimmee rental, again thanks to help from the VA. Her walls are adorned with hand-drawn letters of endearment from her biological children and past students, who she also thinks of as her “children.” 

Although she stopped teaching at Orange County Public Schools in the fall of 2019 due to health issues, Patterson-Johnson remains connected with many of her former students. Some, like Alicia Phillips, still stop by to visit long after graduating.

Phillips, 21, comes over partly for help tweaking her resume and applying to jobs. But she’s also simply come to think of Patterson-Johnson’s family as part of her own.

“It was my senior year at Edgewater [High School], and I lost a friend that year, so [Patterson-Johnson] just kinda became an attachment to me.” Phillips said. “It made me feel loved, and that somebody cares.”

Patterson-Johnson said she can’t imagine being any other way. She’s actively applying for teaching jobs now – but helping other people to better their own lives is her passion, whether she’s getting paid for her efforts or not. 

“I don’t turn my phone off,” Patterson-Johnson said. “This can wear you out, this can exhaust you. But this is my life, my destiny, my passion.”

That proactive nature has always kept Patterson-Johnson going, even in the worst of times. When she and her kids lived briefly in a hotel in 2019, she said another teacher would stop by to pick her up for work. 

“I was homeless. [It] didn’t stop me from doing my job,” Patterson-Johnson said. “These are issues that were occurring in 2019, before the pandemic. It’s worse now.” 

Now, she’s struggling to find another job – one that allows her to give back to society and help other people, while also keeping herself safe. That’s no easy task, especially during this pandemic. 

Patterson-Johnson said she’s not looking for any free handouts, and she doesn’t believe people should give with an expectation to receive. But after years of paying her dues to society, she said she believes she’s worthy of a bit of help – before her situation becomes completely dire.

“From 16 years old, I’ve worked for myself. And for my country. And for my peers, and for my students,” Patterson-Johnson said. “I need help right now. And I don't want it once I'm destitute.”

Molly Duerig is a Report for America corps member who is covering Affordable Housing for Spectrum News 13. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.