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"It's impossible" | Laid-off workers choosing between food, rent as due dates approach

The Tennessee Supreme Court ordered courts to pause any eviction proceedings through April 30, but the bills will still pile up.

GATLINBURG, Tenn — On a bright, sunny and warm afternoon, the streets of Gatlinburg were nearly empty. Just a handful of people were strolling down the sidewalks.

Parking, normally a challenge to find, was plentiful. Signs explaining the sudden closure of businesses due to COVID-19 were on nearly every doorstep.

"In Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, of course, we survive strictly on tourism," Gatlinburg resident Kenneth Carver said. "Right now, it's not possible."

Carver was a server in the area until recently. Like thousands of workers across Tennessee, he found himself unemployed as coronavirus concerns grew.

"It's a hard situation, so I've been forced to sign up for unemployment," Carver said. "Everything was going great, and then boom, nothing."

Carver pays rent weekly at an area motel. But with no income, he's being forced to choose between paying his bills and buying groceries.

"It's impossible right now," he told 10News. "I bought about enough groceries to last two weeks with the last bit of money I had and that was it."

After that runs out, he doesn't know what he'll do. 

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"I've signed up for help, but what good is it right now? I mean it's still three-four weeks out," Carver said. "My belly couldn't go three weeks from now without food."

The Tennessee Supreme Court issued an order on March 25 barring any court official from carrying out an eviction notice through April 30 "based upon the failure to make rent, loan, or other similar payment absent extraordinary circumstances."

Multiple utility companies, including KUB, have pledged to not disconnect service during the pandemic. In both cases, however, bills will continue to pile up and be enforced down the road.

Carver is counting on a stimulus check to help make some of his ends meet.

"I could pay four week's worth of rent and buy groceries," he said. "There's no work for months to come... what are we going to do when we have nowhere to go?"

Most of the businesses in Gatlinburg are closed or offering take-out service. Carver said he's been looking for work, but there aren't enough jobs left to go around.

"Everybody's being faced with the same thing," he said. "Everybody needs to try to get work together to get through this... The sooner we lockdown, the sooner this crisis might be over."

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