SALISBURY, Md. - Paying bills, especially rent, is still increasingly difficult for Marylanders affected by the pandemic.
As of Tuesday, the Wicomico County Council plans to help alleviate some of the burden. The county council accepted $7,380,680 from the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development. The money is from the Emergency Rental Assistance Program.
For people like Randy and Angela Webster, who live out of their car in Salisbury, they have had no luck finding permanent or even temporary housing.
"It's been a trying situation. We've been living in the car 90% of the time," says Randy.
Starting next month, they may not have to live in their car much longer. With Wicomico County accepting these funds from the state, some organizations in the county who help with rental assistance, may be able to find them housing. Angela Webster, however, says she's not getting her hopes too high.
"We just want stability. That's all we want. If they've got this money, that's great and that's beautiful, but take that money and figure out a way to make it long-term instead of 'okay we've got it now and it's got to be spent, what are we going to do, what are we going to do? These people are still in this way,'" says Angela as she sits next to her husband.
Randy suffers from early onset Parkinson's. Each month, he receives social security benefits. They're not enough. With the $7 million set to be distributed by the county in early May, the Websters say they'll do their best to hold out for help.
Angela says as long as the two are together, she believes God or some other divine power will get her and Randy through these troubled waters.