My name is Amanda Ocasio, and I am reaching out with humility and hope to ask for your support. I am a full-time working mother of three beautiful children, one of whom is autistic and attends a specialized school. We live in a NYCHA apartment in the historically Black and Puerto Rican neighborhood of Fort Greene, Brooklyn—a community that has been rapidly gentrified, driving up the cost of living and making basic necessities like groceries nearly unaffordable. Despite my full-time role as a Program Director of an adult community center, the financial strain has become insurmountable.

I am currently in housing court with NYCHA, fighting not only to pay back the $15,000 I owe but also to secure the basic repairs my apartment desperately needs. For years, I have submitted requests for critical repairs: chipping paint, persistent leaks from pipes above my stove, and crumbling walls that have yet to be addressed. I have even sought support from Project Home—a community-based organization—to accompany me to court and advocate for my right to a safe and livable home. I have taken every measure possible to address these issues, but I am still left to live in these conditions while struggling to keep up with rising costs.

I am humbly seeking your support to raise $40,000 to secure stable housing for my family and pay back the $15,000 I owe to NYCHA. The additional $25,000 will allow us to move toward a more sustainable living situation, away from the relentless stress of housing insecurity. It will give us the opportunity to breathe, catch up on bills, and begin climbing out of this financial hole.

My journey has not been easy. I grew up in conditions shaped by generational trauma, systemic poverty, and displacement. As a young person, I experienced street homelessness, finding refuge in community-based organizations like The Door, The Ali Forney Center, Covenant House, and Safe Horizon’s Streetwork Project. These spaces nurtured my resilience and gave me the chance to pursue art school, even while working two or three jobs to survive. I know what it means to struggle, to live on the margins, and to fight for every opportunity.

Now, as a mother, I work tirelessly to give my children a better life. My daughter is autistic and requires specialized care, which I fight every day to secure. We have been denied SSI and OPWDD services and are preparing to reapply. I have also applied for HRA’s One-Shot Deal to try and cover the housing debt, but the outcome remains uncertain. I am resourceful and resilient, but I am also exhausted. Between navigating NYCHA, battling rising costs, and managing my own medical conditions—idiopathic intracranial hypertension, diabetes, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease—I am at my limit.

This fundraiser is my last option. It is incredibly hard and deeply humbling to ask for help. But I know that community can be powerful, that solidarity can make change. By contributing, you are not just helping me pay back NYCHA—you are fighting against systemic injustice, gentrification, and the generational poverty that keep families like mine trapped. You are investing in a future for my children where survival is not the only goal—but where safety, stability, and peace are possible.

How You Can Help:

• Donate: Any amount, big or small, brings us closer to stability and a new start.

• Share: Amplify this campaign to your networks, friends, and community.

• Advocate: Stand with families in marginalized communities fighting against housing injustice and displacement.

If you are passionate about supporting mothers, advocating for housing justice, or fighting systemic oppression, I invite you to be part of this journey with us. My hope is that, with your help, my children and I can finally experience a safe, secure home and the peace we deserve.

Thank you for reading, for caring, and for standing in solidarity with us.

Amanda Ocasio

Fort Greene, Brooklyn