Displaced - homeless

My name is Ann Rainey, and I am a former HS teacher, artist, and single mother. I worked for 17 years as a public school art teacher. I have filed for disability over a year ago and am still waiting. My son is 16 and is working full-time at Tower Hill Botanical Gardens as a paid Intern.

We have been looking for an apartment or place to live for over two years. We are being NO-FAULT evicted by the second owners of the duplex we have lived in. We have lived on the same street in Worcester for 13 years. The owners want the duplex for their daughter, which is the only loophole in Massachusetts. The housing market is overwhelmed with renters and astronomical rental prices requiring first, last, security and proof of 3 times the rent in income each month. This would amount to an income of $6000 per month for the average cost of a two bedroom $2000 rental, Which is obviously not possible for us right now. It was not possible even on my teacher’s salary.

We have applied for every apartment and type of assistance I could find. RECAP solutions, section 8, Worcester Housing authority, Loom lofts, Worcester common ground, South Main CDC, Worcester housing alliance, Catholic Charities plus many other apartments listed on zillow, Craigslist, Remax, apartment.com, etc.

I am not one to ask for help. It makes me uncomfortable. I often feel as though I should be able to handle it on my own. I have managed to raise my son alone since he was four. I did not receive child support for more than a year and the debt my ex-husband left me is insurmountable. Please help. There is no reason for us to be homeless.....and yet here we are.

We have a few more apartment options but at this junction none are available till August 1st or September 1st. We are currently residing in a one-bed extended stay hotel with our three cats. (Without them I don’t think we would have made it this far). The cost of staying here is astronomical and there is nothing else available. I am blessed that our week here was paid for by some of my previous students. They have been such a blessing to me and I miss being able to give to them.

We are respectfully asking anyone that wishes to help us. We will be using any donations toward repairing our car as the brakes just went ($700 for the back breaks alone) and toward keeping a roof over our heads till we can find a permanent solution. We have been living in fight flight mode for so long that even the simple things have become so valuable.

I thank everyone in advance for their love and support. Please know that I will always pay it forward in the future.

Much Love,

Anne