PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — A local woman who has been fighting for unemployment benefits for five months is finally getting help from the state after WPTV brought her story to light last week.
When chief investigator Jamie Ostroff first met Lena Hoti on Oct. 14, she was facing a crucial deadline with just two weeks before potentially losing the room she rents in Port St. Lucie.
WATCH BELOW: Woman's reemployment struggle prompts state response after WPTV report
"I need to pay my rent, and if I don't have this money, I'm going to end up on the street," Hoti said. "I have about two weeks before I have to vacate."
Hoti applied for reemployment benefits in June after losing her hotel housekeeping job. By mid-October, her case hadn't even been adjudicated despite her weekly follow-ups with the state.
"Nobody can really give me a straight answer, and it's kind of frustrating," Hoti said.
After Ostroff emailed FloridaCommerce asking about the delay, a spokeswoman responded on Monday, saying in part:
"While we cannot speak to hypothetical outreach that you're receiving, the majority of circumstances when a claim is taking additional time relate to when the claimant and former employer dispute the facts of how the employee was separated from the employer, or when the circumstances of the claim as submitted are not legally eligible for reemployment."
The spokeswoman also said FloridaCommerce is now working directly with Hoti to adjudicate her claim.
WPTV visited Hoti again on Tuesday.
"Well, I got a phone call (Monday) night saying that I have to file an appeal with one of my employers, that I was employed with this company," Hoti said. "I never got anything or an email or anything. So I don't know what I have to appeal either, but apparently I got to appeal something."
Hoti said the only documents she received from FloridaCommerce came late last week, including a letter dated Oct. 15, showing her claim was submitted in June and scheduling her first payment request for June 30, 2025.
"Why they didn't send me this earlier? I have no idea," Hoti said. "I think they just set it up so that people can fail."
Despite the ongoing challenges, Hoti remains determined in her battle for benefits.
"I don't fail," Hoti said. "I'm going to keep bugging them until they get me the money."
ACT OF KINDNESS
While the communication with FloridaCommerce is encouraging for Hoti, she also has time on her side, thanks to a viewer who saw last week's story.
"It just really hit me hard. And I was like, I felt compelled to want to try and do something to help her," said the viewer, who asked to remain anonymous to avoid potential scams. "Unfortunately, with the ... climate in the world today, good deeds, I believe, can get transformed into something bad for the person who's trying to do good."
"I'm not wealthy by any means. But when I looked at my finances and I was like, I am comfortable enough that I can do something for somebody else," the donor said.
The gesture gives Hoti more than just a roof over her head while she sorts out the ongoing issues with the state.
"Honestly, very grateful," Hoti said. "It gives me hope that maybe I can. ... I think any little bit of kindness any of us can put out there for anybody is worth it."
Meanwhile, Hoti's job search continues. On Wednesday, she completed her first job interview since it began and said it went well.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.