Help Andrea and Ryan Stay In Their Community

Hello, kind people of the internet. I’m writing from a household in which a writer, a therapist and their cat are struggling to cope with the rising cost of rent. Folks like us in our neighborhood are being hit with unaffordable rent increases, and staying in our current apartment would be unsustainable with the increase they announced. But we found a solution - a nearby apartment we’ve signed a lease for will help us avoid the increase and actually pay less in rent and utilities.

Finding something in our budget was such a challenge that we didn’t feel safe waiting until our current lease was over, though, and we still have two months of rent to cover in the place we’re moving out of. Funds from state rental assistance, which would help with this situation, have been delayed and may not come in before the current lease ends.

We’re hoping that community can come together and help us cover the overlap, since paying two rents at once isn’t possible for us, and a legal approach would also be costly and energy-consuming.

We’ve lived in our neighborhood for more than five years and are regular supporters of local organizations that do good for our community, small businesses and neighbors. In addition to being a therapist, Ryan is connected with the arts and film community throughout NJ and PA. Andrea is a pet sitter and volunteers with animals locally, as well as the NJ Mask Bloc, in addition to her work. We both are prepared to help others in our community with mutual aid but first we need to stabilize our housing cost as we continue to grow our Jersey roots. Any help you can provide will be cherished and appreciated.