More than one dozen women who were taking part in a program to turn their lives around are out on the streets tonight, evicted after the group helping them didn’t pay the rent.

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At one point Monday afternoon, mattresses, trash bags, chairs and other items were removed from the building on Minnesota Ave. SE where 15 women out of prison had just been evicted.

“We had an agreement with the landlord to move and he violated the agreement,” says Sharon Anderson.

Anderson calls her program Way of the Word and said she housed 15 women who were getting their lives together by working or going to school. They lived with counselors to help them.

“It hurts because I don’t have a place to stay and I was getting my life together and… it’s a setback now because I don’t know what’s the next step,” says Margie Draper.

D.C.’s federally-funded parole program CSOSA contracted with the group home to house the women. The building’s landlord, John Francone, is not apologizing for the eviction, saying the landlord hasn’t paid rent since August.

“It really didn’t have to happen like this,” says Anderson.

A spokesperson for CSOSA says the residents have been taken to other facilities.