Help Matt and Lia Escape Homelessness

This fundraiser is being organized to help my close friends Lia and Matt Quinney, a young queer couple who have both been experiencing homelessness for several months.

The people:

Lia Quinney (transfemme, she/her): A multi-talented graphic designer/photographer/music producer/multimedia artist/computer nerd with a taste for the bold and visually striking.

Matt Quinney (non-binary, they/he): A passionate and skilled videographer/photographer/director/writer/editor who wants nothing more than to tell meaningful stories through art.

The situation:

In early 2023, Lia's housing situation became unstable, forcing her to leave home. She spent a lot of time couch-surfing at the homes of friends and family, occasionally spending nights in her car. Unfortunately, the economic stability of those close to her tended to be far from good as well, so she bounced back and forth from place to place until she ran out of places to go that could afford to have her. Matt was my roommate until September 2023, when our lease ran up and they too, had to begin shuffling their things around in search of a place to stay.

Around the start of 2024, their housing issues came to a head. Lia had essentially run out of places to stay, so she took to living in her car full-time. Matt was able to find a temporary place to sleep, but often opted to stay with Lia when she was stuck in her car to keep her company and so they could watch out for each other's physical safety. He tended to do this more often as Lia's housing problem worsened. Today, they both spend most nights in the car, conditions that are extremely detrimental to both physical and mental health. They tell me of repeatedly catching the same cold, over and over, as germs and other irratants seep into the walls and ceilings and floors. They bemoan how cramped and uncomfortable it feels in there, how it feels claustrophobic, how it feels like a prison.

In addition, health emergencies have affected both Lia and Matt, disallowing them from coming into work (sometimes resulting in job loss) and resulting in significant medical debt. These emergencies have only served to accelerate existing financial precarity, which in turn has led to loan debt, debt from overdraft fees, etc. Both of them have at points gotten their bank accounts frozen, disallowing them from purchasing things via debit card and making it much harder to purchase essential goods and send/receive funds. And to state the obvious, all of this is only serving to worsen their rapidly declining mental health. It's hard to get back on one's feet when you don't have stable access to housing, food, water, sanitation, medication, etc., and that difficulty is compounded when you're financially unstable.

The goals:

Immediately and always, I would like to ensure my friends have access to:

- food and water

- medication

- gas for their car

and enough money for:

- car insurance

- health insurance

- rent (eventually)

In the short-to-medium term, I would like to:

- help them get their accounts back in the positive so they can transact normally.

- help them avoid falling deeper into a debt spiral.

- help find a place for them to live.

- help them find sources of income sufficient to cover their cost of living.

- help ensure they have stable access to healthcare (including and especially mental health) services.

The plan:

Well, I wouldn't be on GoFundMe if I wasn't looking for donations. Of course, money helps, considering how much of their situation stems from pre-existing economic precarity and hardship. A lot of their problems come down to money problems. However, that doesn't mean donations are the only way to help. If you have an apartment or room you're looking to/willing to rent out, that would be amazing. They both share a single car, so in practice, typically only one of them can take it to work. A lead on a remote job or at least a job accessible via public transit would be stellar. Someone with knowledge about settling/refinancing/managing debts would be great to speak to. Information and resources for people in situations like my friends' is always appreciated, and if nothing else, passing on this request for help is always helpful.

At the end of the day, I really just want to do anything and everything in my power to ensure that my friends don't have to continue suffering like this. No one should have to be forced to live like this and I don't know what I'd do if it was me in their situation. The two of them are incredibly resilient, but things haven't been getting easier and they're running low on hope and options. Thank you so much for taking the time to read this; I hope the rest of your day or night is beautiful.