My family and I have always worked hard to provide a safe and loving home for our 3 year old and a comfy weekend getaway for my husband’s teenage son. After three years in our Avondale apartment, our landlord raised the rent and asked us to leave so he could renovate. We spent weeks searching for a new place, filling out applications, and paying fees, but it was difficult to find a home that fit our needs and budget in the part of town we have been living in for over ten years. With time running out, a work colleague told us about an apartment farther away than we hoped in Belmont Cragin, but the landlord seemed kind and the place was being renovated. We moved in during a snowstorm, grateful to have found somewhere to go.

Unfortunately, things quickly took a turn for the worse. The heat wasn't on when we arrived, and we had to wait three days in the cold for it to be fixed. We soon discovered the cabinets were infested with cockroaches, and rats were coming into the third bedroom. The landlord never gave us a lease and has not addressed any of these issues. The landlord’s son even showed up to threaten me for asking for a new stove. Every night, we hear rats rummaging through the boxes we haven’t been able to unpack in the backroom. The roaches have made it impossible to get comfortable or settle in, and we feel like we’re living in a squatter house. Our teenage child, who stays with us on weekends, is also very uncomfortable here.

We ran out of money after paying for application fees, moving costs, and takeout meals when the stove didn't work. Now, the landlord wants us out by February and is withholding our security deposit because we withheld rent after he failed to provide a new stove.

We are doing everything we can to keep our child safe, but we are out of options. We need help to cover the security deposit and first month's rent for a new, safe place to live. We don't want to end up on the street with our child. Any support would mean the world to us and help us find a safe home.