Help Nicole and Her 6-year-old Son Get Safe, Stable Housing

Help Nicole and Her 6-Year-Old Son Cohen Get Safe, Stable Housing

A mother and child shouldn't have to sleep in a pickup truck, but that's the reality my friend Nicole Voisine and her precious 6-year-old son Cohen are facing right now.

Meet Nicole and Cohen

I've known Nicole since high school back in the 90s, and she's one of those rare people who brings light wherever she goes. Even in her darkest moments, she's been known to post cheerful dance videos to lift others' spirits and maintains an infectious positive attitude that amazes everyone who knows her, and especially those who know her struggles.

Her son Cohen is a bright, creative, energetic little boy who loves pretending to be a vegetarian dinosaur. Despite everything they've been through, he's still smiling in every photo—though Nicole's heart breaks knowing he's starting to realize their "summer adventure" isn't just fun and games anymore.

How They Got Here

Nicole had stable housing for 10 years with a landlord who never raised her rent. When he decided to sell the property, she had to move—but discovered that rent prices had quadrupled during those years. Without recent work history due to her chronic health issues, no landlord would rent to her despite her decade of stable tenancy.

She and Cohen moved in with a family member in Manchester, but what should have been a sanctuary quickly became a nightmare. The apartment was infested with bedbugs, cockroaches, and rats. There was no hot water, no working refrigerator, and the bathroom ceiling was collapsing from bad plumbing. Nicole had already sold her car and given them money to help with the move, but her previously-trusted family member simply abandoned her and Cohen in that horrific apartment—with no money, no food, and no transportation. (After settling with the landlord, which left Nicole with no legal recourse.)

After applying to over 100 apartments and receiving over 100 rejections, Nicole learned the harsh reality: New Hampshire's housing crisis is so severe that even the head of Community Action Program told her it's "worse than Los Angeles."

Here's some of what Nicole has tried over the past 2.5 years:

*Applied for every type of assistance available in New Hampshire

*Entered Coordinated Entry systems throughout the state

*Applied for Social Security and disability (denied multiple times despite SEVERE medical issues that have repeatedly landed her in the hospital)

*Joined waiting lists for low-income housing (currently 4+ year wait--some are up to 9 years!!!)

*Calls shelters daily (they're always full)

*Works with 4 different social workers and 2 resource agents

As one social worker recently told her: "Nicole, I don't know what to say to you, You've done everything you possibly could do with what's available to you in resources in New Hampshire. Just keep calling."

This is not a woman who sits back and lets life steam-roll her. She is proactive in every way and has done everything to get the support she desperately needs--but the current odds are stacked against her no matter how she tries to find a way.

Their Current Reality

Nicole and Cohen are living in a borrowed pickup truck, moving between campgrounds when they can afford it and the occasional motel room when they can. They have a tent, but it leaks. Rest areas are dangerous, and even Walmart—traditionally a safe haven for people living in vehicles—has been turning them away and denying people the opportunity to stay in their lots overnight.

Nicole's chronic stomach issues require risky surgery she can't get without childcare and a clean, safe place to rest during the lengthy recovery period, and she's lost significant weight from stress and illness. She's been in and out of the hospital while trying to care for Cohen and find housing.

A Mother's Worst Nightmare

Nicole is a devoted mother who has centered her entire life around caring for Cohen. She's the kind of mom who tried to make their homelessness feel like a "fun summer adventure" to protect his innocence. She puts his needs first in every decision, every sacrifice, every sleepless night worrying about his safety and future. She finds the positive in every situation even when things are dire, though after months of this strain, she's feeling like she's tearing at the seams. There's only so much a person can take. Yet she still finds time to thank everyone who shows even the smallest bit of compassion or humanity, and still posts photos of beautiful views and all the wonderful things she still somehow sees in the world around her.

But here's the most heartbreaking and infuriating part: The head of Community Action Program told Nicole that if she doesn't accept ANY shelter placement(if any came up, which hasn't been happening)—including one where 6-year-old Cohen would have to sleep ALONE and unsupervised in a men's section, away from his mother—she would be reported to DCYF (Division for Children, Youth & Families). She was also told that if they're still living in the vehicle when cold weather hits, she'd be reported to DCYF as well.

Poverty is not a crime. Being homeless does not make someone a bad parent.

The overburdened-already system is essentially threatening to take away a child from a loving, devoted mother who has done absolutely everything humanly possible to provide for him—simply because the system itself has failed to provide adequate housing or shelter options. The thought of losing Cohen, when she has sacrificed everything to care for him, is devastating beyond words. This kind of treatment should enrage us all.

The safety nets we've all believed are there to catch single moms who wind up in these situations simply don't exist the way we thought they did.

There's Hope—But We Need Your Help

The good news: Nicole may have an apartment lined up for September!

The challenge: She needs $3,500 for rent and security deposit, which is currently out of reach.

How Your Donation Will Help

$3,500 minimum goal: Covers first month's rent and security deposit for the apartment and gets her keys to the apartment.

Additional funds: Will provide motel rooms until they get those keys so Cohen doesn't have to sleep in a vehicle as New Hampshire nights get colder, plus things they'll need to get started in the apartment and future rent stability.

Why I'm Asking for Your Help

Nicole has turned down help from friends (including me) before because she never wants to be a burden. She's not someone who takes advantage—she's someone who needs our community to rally around her in her darkest hour.

This amazing woman has spent years lifting others up with her positivity and gratitude and unique way of looking at the world. Now it's our turn to lift her up. Any amount helps, and I know Nicole will pay it forward when she's back on her feet.

Please help give Cohen a safe place to sleep and Nicole the dignity of a home. No child should have to wonder where they'll lay their head tonight. He deserves a place where his dinos can roam and roar freely, where he can snuggle up in one spot for as long as he wants, and where his mom can begin her healing journey. He deserves a time where going camping is truly a fun adventure again, and where he can go home to his warm, comfortable bed once the adventure comes to an end.

Thank you for reading, for caring, and for whatever you can contribute to help this deserving family. I know we're all strapped financially, but anything you can give will be so, so appreciated and helpful!