Help Keep Our Family Home: A Fight to Stay Together

Dear friends, family, and kind-hearted strangers,

I’m reaching out to ask for your support during a heartbreaking and urgent time for my family. We are facing eviction and need to raise $16,000, but this is about so much more than just a place to live—it’s about the preservation of memories, the safety and well-being of my family, and the sentimental value that our home holds.

The Situation

My grandmother is bedridden, and moving her out of the house would not only be incredibly difficult, but it could also be dangerous to her health. The emotional stress and physical strain of relocating at her age and condition could cause her grave harm. In January 2024, I began paying an extra $900 a month toward my grandmother's care, allowing her to have nurses come daily to change, bathe, and feed her. This was a necessary sacrifice to ensure she gets the care she desperately needs, but it caused me to fall behind on the rent by one month. The landlord and I communicated a month prior about the financial setback my family was experiencing due to my grandmother’s immobility. At first, he showed compassion and understanding, but everything changed when I couldn’t provide the full rent for the following month. Despite knowing about my grandmother’s slip and fall in the shower that left her bedridden, and fully aware of the emotional and financial toll this has taken on our family, he switched up and chose to proceed with evicting us.

This house is not just four walls—it’s where my mother passed away just a day before my little sister’s birthday, on Valentine’s Day, while I was in college working hard toward my Mechanical Engineering degree. When my mother passed, my grandmother took over her room to feel closer to my mom, and it’s the only place where she feels at peace. It’s hard to describe how much this house means to us—not just as a building, but as a piece of our history. My mother grew up on this block, and it’s the place my family has always known as home.

The Impact on My Sister

My little sister is a high school senior, and this is the final stretch before she graduates. Uprooting her from her school and friends would not only disrupt her senior year, but could also have a long-term impact on her emotional and academic well-being. She deserves to finish her high school experience in the home where she’s grown up, surrounded by the memories of her mother and the support of our family.

The Landlord’s Neglect

We are also dealing with a slumlord who has continually mistreated us. The house is in terrible disrepair—the roof caved in above the dining room, breaking my mother's antique plates. There are other issues with plumbing, wasp nests, and mold. In 2021 the landlord made my mother pay $900 for a water bill that wasn’t her fault and has even tried to evict us just weeks after she passed away. To make matters worse, he discriminates against me personally, refusing to accept wire transfers from me while allowing other tenants to use that method to pay rent. Despite these hardships, we continue to fight for this home because it’s more than just a place to live. It’s where our family has built its foundation, where we keep the memory of my mother alive, and where we need to stay for the sake of our own well-being.

How You Can Help

We need to raise $16,000 to avoid eviction and stay in the house that holds so much sentimental value. Your contribution—no matter how big or small—will go directly towards legal fees and eviction prevention, giving us the time and resources we need to stay in the place we love and where my family can heal.

I understand that times are tough for many, and any help you can provide would mean the world to us. I promise to pay back whatever is contributed, and I will forever be grateful for your generosity and support. Scroll down to click the contact button to email proof of donation and preferred method of reimbursement.

Thank you for taking the time to read our story, and for any help you can give.

With deep appreciation and hope,

Nile Haynes-Irby

Photo description:

1.Grandmommy

2.Nile

3.Nila

4.Damages

5.Diploma

6.Roof