How does waiting for services affect the poor?

Many Americans face the problems outlined in Evicted and struggle to meet the basic needs of food, shelter, and employment. An increase in rent, a personal emergency, or unexpected expenses can quickly become a crisis. Evicted tackles issues like the feminization of poverty, cyclical issues of poverty, and social advocacy.
It is no secret that many women in America will face or have faced a socioeconomic crisis, especially because they continue to receive unequal pay compared to their male counterparts. Therefore, it is more likely that women will be faced with the burden of waiting for social services in the event of a crisis like eviction. Additionally, this issue is often compounded by the need to find daycare for their children. Therefore, women often have to seek social services such as TANF, Section 8, Food Stamps, or WIC, which may be quickly taken away if they reach an income level that is slightly over the requirements of these services. If this happens, they will need to find alternative means to meet their basic housing needs.
Low-income individuals who are waiting for social services in the aftermath of an eviction may be faced with the dangerous realities of living in a shelter, living on the streets, or even squatting. Many face compounding issues such as substance abuse disorders, career crises, or even mental health issues. Many of these issues may go unnoticed by typical social services programs, even as they cause repeated problems. As a result, the cyclical nature of poverty not only traps people in personal poverty but also creates a continuous burden on the American economy.
In light of the fieldwork presented in Evicted, it's more important than ever that mental health counselors, social workers, and rehabilitation programs provide social advocacy services for these individuals and their families. Although second-chance housing is possible in some areas of the US, it is more than likely that these individuals will face social and familial crises while they wait for social services. As a consequence, social advocacy is needed not only on an individual scale but on a national level.
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Waiting for services affect the poor in different ways. Emotionally, it can cause depression, anxiety, or anger. A low self esteem can arise with the span of time waiting for services and not being able to make decisions due to lack of meeting the necessities of life. For example, loss of job can lead to not being able to pay rent and buy food for the family. The children will not be able to go to school because of not having a home to live in, moving from one place to another. Waiting for services can also lead to abuse of different sorts such as verbal abuse or physical abuse because of frustration and insecurity of not knowing if life will be the same tomorrow. Waiting for services can also cause health issues because some people are not able to take the consequences of not having a home or food to eat. Sometimes the poor are placed in services that are suppose to help them but it serves more damage than good and this creates more instability and insecurity for the poor.

Evicted provides a firsthand look into the compounding factors that make escaping poverty difficult and highlights how greatly eviction and the affordable housing crisis affect those living in poverty. In your scenario of waiting for services, factors that might have an impact are:
Lack of a permanent or long-term address. Tenants with a record of past evictions have difficulty securing affordable housing, and tenants spending a large portion of income on housing are more likely to grow behind on rent. This cycle ensures that evicted renters remain at a high risk for eviction, which impedes access to services requiring contact by mail or confirmation of address.
Inflexible work schedule. Eviction is directly connected to job loss. Since a person fired from a past job will have more difficulty finding a new job, and since a person living in poverty greatly depends on each paycheck, someone in this situation may not be able to miss work to attend to other business. If procuring services requires an appointment during a set time period, a poor person with an inflexible work schedule may not have the option of attending.
Lack of reliable transportation and lack of reliable childcare may also be obstacles.

Waiting for social services perpetuates cyclical poverty, and this passing of time creates greater need. When people can't get the help they need when they need it, their problems become compounded while they wait. The cyclical nature of these setbacks (i.e., that waiting for aid begets greater need for that aid), ultimately puts more pressure on the individual, as well as the society they live in.