Hello,

My name is Carine France and I am organizing this fundraiser on behalf of my friend Brenda Factor.

The affordable housing crisis in this country is real. It is one thing to hear about it on TV but quite another to see a dear friend - who has worked hard her whole life but became disabled due to a medical condition - live in fear every single day because of eviction, the threat of eviction, and the lack of available low-income accommodations.

Hello, I’m Brenda

Thank you for taking the time to read this short story about my situation:

I am a Naturalized Senior Citizen and find myself standing on the edge of a cliff due to financial circumstances beyond my control. I am 72 years old and come to find out that having a roof over my head is a privilege.

I immigrated to America at age 30 from South Africa and enjoyed a successful career as a Project Manager in the Advertising Industry in San Francisco from 1980 until 1997. But in 1997, at age 47, I was diagnosed with an auto-immune disease. Ten years later, I was forced to stop working, due to the intensity of the symptoms and the toxic side effect of the medications that had enabled me to keep working. I lost my income that allowed me to live in middle class America and was forced to go on disability which moved me into “low-income” America. The change in culture was quite overwhelming.

In 2016, after 36 years in California, I had to relocate to Eugene, Oregon because I was unable to find affordable housing in the Bay Area. I had to postpone knee-replacement surgery, even though the pain, when I walked, was already becoming excruciating. I found, at the time, an affordable apartment in this smaller town, and underwent two successful knee-replacements, but rent has increased 7% every year and my Social Security Income has not. Every year, I worry I will end up being evicted and will have nowhere to go. This past year a good friend is helping me pay my rent. But this situation is unsustainable as rent will keep rising unless I can get into a rent-controlled assistance program.

The bottom line is I need to move again. Eugene is a very small market and offers very little opportunity. Portland on the other hand is very promising. It is a cosmopolitan city and there is more affordable housing available. I’m currently on several waitlists, but I need funding to spend time in Portland to network with property managers, secure long-term housing, and look for suitable work. After talking with property managers there are several good possibilities for my situation.

My father, a Jewish refugee from a small town in Lithuania, instilled in me a pride for the Jewish culture and a spirit to always search for a better quality of life. He taught me to be resilient and courageous in the face of adversity and injustice. His spirit is what keeps me going and I know he would want me to go on and fight for the simple right to find a sustainable shelter for myself so that I can feel safe and participate in the life of the community around me. I have the strength and courage to begin a new chapter in my life, I just need a little financial support.

From the bottom of my heart, I thank you for your kind consideration.

With love and appreciation,

Brenda

Let’s help Brenda through this difficult time so she can find an affordable and secure housing situation and continue to bring her many gifts and skills –intelligence, compassion, wisdom, humor, organizational skills – to her community.

ANY DONATION WILL BE SINCERELY APPRECIATED

If anyone knows of an organization that can help with ANY solution - please

reach out to me. All advice is appreciated. Thank you very much.