Our Story

My name is Erik. For more than a year, my daughter Penelope and I have been homeless. Occasionally we've each found short term places to say; friends, family members, on their couches or a spare room for a short time. I'm working full time, which is difficult while being in this constant state of flux, but even with full time employment the cost of getting our own place has been out of reach.

I am Penelope's primary caregiver. She is a young adult, and our lives are deeply intertwined; where I go, she goes. That responsibility is not a burden, it is the most important thing in my life. But it also means that the weight of finding us stable housing rests solely on my shoulders, and I have been carrying it alone for a long time.

I do work full-time, I show up every day, I push forward, and still the numbers simply haven't added up. In Florida right now, the cost of getting into an apartment is staggering, and when you're doing it without savings, without any other financial backing, and without a safety net, even a full-time income isn't enough to clear the wall of upfront costs that stands between where we are and where we need to be.

I am not looking for someone to take care of us indefinitely. I am looking for a community of people willing to help us clear one enormous obstacle so that I can take it from there.

I have stretched every dollar I've earned. I have asked for less than I've needed. I have tried every avenue I could. And I've finally reached the point where I feel that the honest, courageous thing to do is to ask for help. Not out of defeat, but because I know with absolute clarity what it will take to get us a home, and I cannot get there alone.

Why the Numbers Don't Work Alone

Most people who have rented in Florida recently already know this reality, but for those who don't, here is the truth: moving into an apartment in this state is not a matter of having one month's rent ready. Landlords require first month, last month, and a security deposit, all paid before you can sign a lease. That is three months' rent due simultaneously, before you've spent a single night under your own roof.

Stack on top of that utility deposits, the cost of basic furniture for two people who have been living out of bags for nearly two years, and the household supplies needed to actually function, and the total climbs well past what a single working person can save fast enough to reach alone, especially starting from nothing and while maintaining the loose financial thread between hanging on and total collapse.

I am seeking a total of $8,000 in order to cover move in costs, utility setup, essentials, and basic beds for my daughter and myself:

First Month’s Rent: $1,825 – $2,080

Security Deposit: $1,825 – $2,080

Last Month’s Rent: $1,825 – $2,080

Application Fee: $50 – $100

Administrative/Lease Fee: $150 – $300

Electric (TECO/Duke Energy): $150 – $300

Water/Sewer/Trash: $50 – $100

Internet/Cable Installation: $0 – $100

Essentials & basic furniture: $700 - $1,000

I have tried and pushed to get this done on my own, I have reached out for services and local aid to no avail, the simple truth is that we are in need of help. It is my hope that a community effort will be the help we need in order to finally be back on solid footing and have a chance to give her the life and stability she needs. Any amount helps.

Thank you so much.

Erik