Homeowner in Pajaro trying what she can to help renters

PAJARO, CALIF. (KION-TV)- Evelia Martinez rents out a home in Pajaro.

After the floods, she looked to her insurance for help.

“And they started nitpicking because it's a home with a converted dwelling in the back,” Martinez said. “So because of that, they're saying now you have to have two policies for the front unit and the back unit.”

Not only did she not get help from the insurance, but she also got denied by FEMA.

She hopes the renters who lived there qualify.

“They lost all their clothes because they were told that it had toxins on it and you shouldn't wash it,” Martinez said. “They should just throw it away. So they did. I mean, everything was, you know, touched by these floodwaters in that house.”

Through all of this, Martinez is doing what she can to help them get back into the home because the bond she shares with the family is more than just a renter and owner.

“I don't see them just as tenants,” Martinez said. “We've always been there to help out with whatever it is that they need because I know that winters are hard for them. I feel for them. And I look at my situation, too, and it's like, I wish I could give more. But again, I can't give more than what I have. And yeah, it's just… it's really depressing.”

Before the flood, Martinez was saving the little bit she could save each month to fix the roof. Now she says the roof is the least of her worries, with expenses starting to pile up.

The Small Business Association offers financial assistance to businesses and individuals who lost property during the storms. 

But the assistance is offered as a small interest loan.