A New Start in New Mexico

UPDATE: so, I’ve decided not to go this route, out of respect to those who’ve donated I’m leaving this up for transparency but turning off the accepting donations option. I have a different endeavor that still involves leaving Florida, but more nomadic. If you’d like to donate to that journey, feel free to donate to my cashapp $KittenWho otherwise thanks to all who supported my previous potential journey, now on to the next adventure

For the past year and a half, I’ve been trying to survive in a Florida apartment that has actively made my health and safety worse — with ongoing leaks, black mold, and a neighbor who has made me feel physically unsafe in my own home. (2 included pics show mold and leaks)

Despite a diagnosed lung condition, I’ve fought for months to get anyone to take the mold issue seriously. The management has ignored or downplayed it, and the damage is visible and spreading. Add to that a neighbor whose behavior has crossed boundaries of safety and privacy, and it’s pushed me to the edge of what I can handle physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

On top of that, Florida’s political climate has grown more hostile for people like me: disabled, neurodivergent, Black, queer — trying to live quietly, but safely. The toll is real, and it’s not getting better.

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What I’m Doing

I’m raising funds to leave Florida by December and relocate to the southern plains of New Mexico, where I can begin building a permanent home base:

• One that is safe, sustainable, and mine

• A place to breathe, build, and recover

• A soft landing spot not only for myself, but for those I care about

New Mexico offers a more affordable, sustainable path for me — with a climate that’s close enough to Florida to ease my transition, but with land that is wide, still, and open for possibility.

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Land, Responsibility, and Respect

I’m not just looking to buy land. I’m trying to do this without causing further harm.

Most of the land I’m considering is in the ancestral and unceded territory of the Apache and Comanche peoples — especially the Mescalero Apache. Though there are few active reservations in the region, that doesn’t mean the land is free of meaning. In fact, it’s the opposite: it holds memory. It carries the legacy of resistance and forced displacement.

As a Black American and descendant of enslaved people, something in this land echoes deeply for me. My ancestors, too, were displaced — and in some ways, still are. I know what it is to be without a home you can trust. That’s part of why I’m moving with as much care as I can.

I’m committed to:

• Acknowledging the history of the land I occupy

• Avoiding plots that are near sacred or disputed sites

• Building relationships with Indigenous-led organizations in the area

• Offering space, use, or resources back once I am stable

• Exploring voluntary land tax or donation models to support land rematriation

I’m not Indigenous, and I don’t claim to be. But I carry both sides of a long, painful American history — and I want this step in my life to be one that heals, not harms. I want to create a place that honors those who’ve lost everything by making sure it gives something back.

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The Mutual Aid Vision

This isn’t just about shelter. It’s about building a space for restoration and mutual support.

Once I’ve secured land and can begin living on it, my goal is to gradually create a homebase that can serve my wider community — especially those who, like me, have struggled to find a place to land and recover.

Some of my long-term intentions include:

• A small structure or safe site that can be used as a temporary landing spot for friends, mutual aid network members, or those facing crisis

• A storage area for aid supplies — food, water, hygiene kits, medical supplies — that can be distributed when needed

• A space for mental health respite or quiet retreat

• A future garden or growing space focused on healing and food security

• Partnership with local Indigenous orgs or neighbors for land-sharing, community care, or cultural healing

This may start small — just me, a tent or trailer, and the open sky. But it has room to become so much more.

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What I Need & Why

If I don’t leave by the end of my lease, I’ll likely be homeless. I’m preparing to car-camp if I have to, but I’m trying to avoid that by building something that lasts.

I’m asking for $8,000 to cover:

• Travel/moving costs to get to NM (~$1,000)

• ️ Down payment or full purchase of a small rural plot (~$3,000–$6,000)

• Temporary off-grid shelter setup (tent gear, tiny cabin, etc.)

• Safe water/utility setup (off-grid options or haul-in)

• Emergency survival cushion while I transition

Every dollar helps. Even $5–$20 gets me closer to safety — and to a future that’s about more than just surviving.

If you can’t give, but want to share this with others — that means everything to me, too.

Thank you for believing in this, and in me.