Help Henry Save His Home from Eviction

My name is Henry Lee. Please help to save my family and me from losing our home. I need to raise $44,000 by April 30, 2025. I am reaching out in a humble request for financial assistance for my family. This will be used to pay back rent, legal fees and stop an eviction.

I am a freelance camera operator working in the television industry for over 3 decades. I am the sole provider for my family. I lost work on March 13, 2020, after being deemed a non-essential employee during the pandemic. My profession did not allow me to work remotely from home. I became unemployed for 2 years from 2020 to 2022 due to this. When it was announced that people would be able to return to work, the majority of the work force was still working from home. My work as a freelance camera operator didn't allow me to do so. Work was scarce for my industry. There were a series of strikes in 2023 ranging from WGA, DGA, SAG-AFTRA, IATSE, and the Teamsters. These strikes limited the amount of work I had in 2024 to present.

My wife left the workforce to become a stay-at-home mom when our youngest son was diagnosed with a learning disability at 7 years old. She spent the next decade advocating for his academic needs. Any family with a learning-disabled child or one who is on the spectrum knows how hard it is to make sacrifices and the impact it has on all aspects of their lives. It has not been easy for us, but the sacrifice made was well worth it.

After our son entered college, my wife was looking forward to returning to the workforce. She took on the role of caretaker to my mother and her father.

I am struggling financially to keep our home. My wife and I have both closed our 401K plans. All of our savings have been used during the pandemic. We borrowed from friends and family to help with living expenses. I have been in housing court since June 2023 dealing with eviction hearings. My final court appearance was on March 21, 2025, in Brooklyn Housing Court. The judge denied my request for an attorney and ordered that all back rent be paid in full by April 30, 2025, or the marshals will serve me with an eviction notice to move in 14 days.

I know that these are hard times that we are living in now. If you are able to help, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. If you are not able to, please share my story. I only have one month's time to work with. God bless you. May your kindness be repaid tenfold. Thank you for helping me keep my home.