Underhanded Dealings

Well, my school has just infromed me that they do not have the budget to pay me the roughly $1700 in back pay that they owe me. I have this choice. I can either get this pay, or lose my big apartment for a smaller and cheaper apartment. I'm waiting to hear back from the province office about this issue. I'm hoping that my school cannot really do this to me. If push comes to shove, I will stay in my apartment. The school will still have to pay me the extra money from now until the end of my contract. I will definitely let the school know exactly what I think about this situation and how they're treating me. I really don't care what bridges I burn. I know that my last 7.5 months here will be difficult, so what does it matter if they're even more difficult? I hate this so much. Why must my school do this to me at every single turn?