It makes no sense to me

My thought to help us out a little in our current financial jam was to take a distribution from my 401(k). I already have an open loan and my company only allows 1 loan at a time. I'd have to pay off the first loan in order to borrow more.

The other option I have is to apply for a hardship distribution for financial need. This doesn't have to be repaid, and can be for medical bills, purchasing a home, school tuition, or to avoid foreclosure or eviction from ones primary residence. For any of the options, proof of need has to be provided. You fill out the application form and send it to corporate benefits where it is reviewed by a committee. I'm following along up to this point, although I really don't see the need to jump through so many hoops to get my own money out. Especially seeing how I'll get taxed through the wazoo for withdrawing it early.

Now comes the part I don't get. Of the options I have to withdraw the money, the one that best fits our situation is avoiding eviction. I don't really have any major medical bills at the moment. No one in my family is currently in school (unless you count daycare). We're not purchasing a home. I called today to see what would be acceptable as proof of need to avoid eviction. They would need either a statement from the mortage lender showing the past due amount or a letter from the landlord/apartment office showing the past due as well as an eviction date. Here's my thing, and this is where the process breaks down for me. My rent is technically due on the first of each month. It's late if not paid by the 5th, and paying on the 6th or later adds a 10% late charge. I can call to make payment arrangements with the management as needed, since I've been living here for over 3 years and have an acceptable payment record. Anyway, there's not a set eviction date if I don't pay my rent, at least not one that's constant from month to month. Say I make arrangements to pay on the 15th. As long as my rent is turned in on the 15th or is in the dropbox before the office opens on the 16th, I paid according to my arrangement and all is well. If I don't pay, then on the 16th, the eviction process would begin and I'd have a 10 day period to pay.

So for me, I don't have a "past due" balance. I can't carry rent from month to month. If it's not paid by the end of the month, I say adios. And I don't get anything from the apartment office saying anything about eviction until I have 10 days left to pay. So, here's my dilemma: I can't file for a hardship withdrawal for next month even though I know now I won't be able to pay my rent because I have no proof of need. And by the time I have that I'll have 10 days to pay or get out. But -- the paperwork to get the disbursement takes 14 to 30 days to process. I'll be on the street before the committee has even reviewed my application. Arrgh. Here I am, trying to be proactive and the corporate bureaucracy has won.