I'm Mike Taylor, parent of a Reeves Middle School student who is also a Madison Elementary alum. I'm seeking help for my friend, Rachel Walling. She's a single mother of three and has been facing several issues with her home, her mental health and that of her daughter which have caused her to be unable to work consistently. This has resulted in her falling behind on her rent.

There's more to this story. She is being threatened with eviction from her apartment on April 10. Late last year, there were leaks in the plumbing in the unit above hers, causing damage to their bathroom, which ultimately made it unusable. The property management company was slow to resolve not only the plumbing issue but also subsequent issues, which resulted in them have no working bathroom available (they literally had to relieve themselves in buckets!) The company did give them access to another unit for access to a restroom for a short time but took that away, because they said that Rachel used the washer/dryer in that unit once (which she admits to doing) which violated their agreement. Rachel was told by an employee of the company that because her unit had unsanitary conditions caused by the landlord, she was exempt from paying rent for that time. That employee no longer works for the company and is therefore not available to corroborate her story. Her payment portal did not show a payment due, so she trusted that advice and used the money she would have spent on rent to pay down other debts. She also did not receive any notifications of past due rent. Now the company is saying she is responsible for all back rent, meaning she owes 6 months of rent.

She's actively seeking legal help from NWJustice due to these issues with the landlord, but they will not take action until she has an actual eviction notice. Rachel has no family that can help and nowhere else to go if they get evicted. She's a domestic abuse survivor and may be eligible for relief under the Violence Against Women Act and is also seeking protection from her property management company but is concerned that this may not be sufficient to ensure she is able to stay in her home.

I've known Rachel since her daughter and mine were in kindergarten together at Madison. Her daughter struggled with severe anxiety at the start of middle school, and though the school tried, ultimately Rachel decided the best thing would be for her to attend school online. Rachel is trying homeschool and online school, but it's is a daily struggle. Her twin boys were nurtured by the teachers and staff at Reeves and are now thriving at Oly High.

Rachel is a devoted mom. She is frugal and works hard to make ends meet, but her only real income is from her sons' survivor benefits, which barely cover rent and utilities. The food bank provides the basics the family needs to survive. Although she has struggles of her own, Rachel was previously denied disability coverage. Due to the significant time commitment of supporting her daughter's mental health issues and schooling, finding work has been difficult.

I'm seeking help to get Rachel out of this hole. Paying the back rent that is causing significant stress will enable her to focus her energy on getting herself and her daughter into a better place mentally. She'll work though the required legal processes to resolve the issues with her landlord and and exhaust all other available resources to support her family.