My name is Asha, a pseudonym I am using to protect my identity while my case is ongoing. I am a 31-year-old Black immigrant woman who moved to the United States in 2016 after completing my university studies. I moved to New York City in 2020 and have lived here since. I came to this country alone with the hope of building a better life. As a single woman with no family in the United States, I faced many of the challenges that come with starting over in a new country, but I continued moving forward. I worked hard, supported myself, and did everything I could to remain independent. In May 2026, my lease ended. At the time, I was looking for an affordable temporary place to live while I worked through a period of financial instability. I found a room in a shared apartment that appeared to be within my budget, and I believed it would be a safe and temporary place to stay. Within days of moving in, I realized that the living situation was not what I had expected. I began witnessing frequent heavy drinking, aggressive behavior, and disturbing incidents involving the person I was living with. I also experienced racist comments and slurs directed toward me and heard hateful comments about immigrants and other minorities. I became increasingly uncomfortable and afraid in my own home. The person I lived with would frequently become intoxicated and scream for extended periods of time. I witnessed and heard repeated verbal aggression directed toward other people in the building. I also became aware of previous incidents involving him and other residents, including reports of protection orders and confrontations. As a Black immigrant woman living alone in the apartment with him, I became increasingly afraid that his behavior would eventually be directed toward me. I always paid my rent on time and kept my living space clean. We did not have ongoing personal conflicts. However, on occasions when he was intoxicated, he directed verbal aggression toward me and used racial slurs, including the N-word, despite my telling him that the language was hurtful and offensive. I tried to avoid confrontation because I was afraid of escalating the situation and did not have another place to go. To protect myself, I began spending as little time in the apartment as possible. I would leave early in the day, stay out for most of the day, and return late at night, hoping that he would already be asleep. On August 4, my worst fear became reality. Without provocation, he began yelling racial slurs at me and threatening my life. I was terrified. I left the apartment to run errands because I hoped that by the time I returned, the situation would have calmed down. When I came back, I found the apartment in disarray. Some of my belongings had been damaged, and I received a series of abusive, racist, and intimidating text messages. He had also become unresponsive in his bedroom after what appeared to be a blackout. I was terrified and did not feel safe remaining there. I grabbed only a few immediate necessities, including my phone charger and an umbrella, left the apartment, and called 911. Police responded to the scene and arrested him. The following day, I spent hours speaking with prosecutors and providing information and evidence about what had happened. I was informed that the case would involve multiple criminal charges, including allegations involving a hate crime. I believed that I would finally be able to return home safely after a protection order was issued. Instead, the judge ordered his release and issued a temporary limited protection order. Although the order prohibited communication between us, we were still legally permitted to occupy the same apartment. For me, that was not a safe or realistic option. I was afraid of someone I believed had threatened my life and whose behavior I had witnessed becoming increasingly aggressive. I could not continue living in the same apartment under those circumstances. Later that evening, I was informed by the prosecutor that he had been released. I had approximately fifteen minutes to gather whatever belongings I could carry and leave for emergency shelter. In a matter of minutes, the stability I had worked so hard to build was gone. I lost my home. I lost my sense of safety. Some of my belongings were damaged or left behind. I was suddenly forced into emergency housing and had to begin rebuilding my life under circumstances I never expected. I am currently staying in temporary emergency housing while I work toward longer-term safe housing. I also continue cooperating with prosecutors while the criminal case is ongoing. I have no family in the United States. Most of the people closest to me live in other states, and I am facing this situation largely on my own. Asking for help is one of the hardest things I have ever done. I have always been someone who handles my own problems, works hard, and tries to remain independent. I have never been comfortable asking others to support me financially. But this situation has left me in a position where I genuinely need help getting back on my feet. Your support will help me: • Secure safe, stable housing and pay a security deposit. • Replace belongings that were damaged or lost. • Cover transportation to court hearings, meetings with prosecutors, and victim-services appointments. • Access trauma-informed mental health counseling and therapy. • Pay for basic living expenses while I work toward financial stability. • Cover moving and storage expenses. • Purchase essential household items when I obtain permanent housing. • Begin rebuilding the independent life I worked so hard to create. Every donation, no matter how small, brings me one step closer to safety and stability. If you are unable to contribute financially, sharing my fundraiser with others would mean just as much to me. I came to the United States with a dream of building a better life through hard work, determination, and perseverance. What happened to me has deeply affected my life, but I refuse to let it determine my future. I am asking for help because I need it right now. With your support, I can move beyond surviving and begin rebuilding. Thank you for believing me, standing beside me, and helping me through the most difficult chapter of my life.