CINCINNATI -- A mother of four is in crisis mode, desperately looking for a place to stay.
By early next week, Marie Doumas will be evicted if she can't pay $749 her landlord says she owes.
"It can happen to anybody," she said. "I was working so much I barely even saw my kids."
Doumas said she worked two jobs and still couldn't make ends meet.
"I tried going to every avenue and I lost child care, and it just escalated from there," she said.
Doumas recently landed a new job, but that doesn't start until next week. In the meantime, she is two months behind on her rent and will be tossed out on the street if she can't pay up.
To make matters worse, Doumas said she's been told there are no shelter openings in the area.
She's not alone. Affordable Housing has been a big topic in Cincinnati this year. It was one of the issues raised by focus on a group of people experiencing homelessness who were ordered to leave several camps around the city. And Cincinnati is one of the top 10 cities in the U.S. for evictions.
"All around the city, we have empty buildings that people could be in," Doumas said. "There's just so much more the services can do for the homeless here."
The property owner said he's tried to work with Doumas, but said two months is too long.
Doumas said she's just looking for a hand up, not a handout.
"I have a plan, I have a plan, I know it can work," she said. "I just need someplace to execute that plan from."
A reporter reached out to the group Strategies to End Homelessness. They've agreed to speak with Doumas if something can't be done by Monday.
