Help Viviane, Veronica and Sammy find a better home

Howdy all, Sammy here. Me and my partners Viviane and Veronica I have been living and loving in Bushwick for the last couple years, but unfortunately we’ve recently been backed into a corner and need to find a new apartment. The extremely poor conditions of our unit and the neglectful behavior of our landlord has pushed us to a breaking point and we’re looking for a less vulnerable, more permanent, and hospitable place to grow and feel at home together.

About Us: We’re three trans women who have been through a lot together, and two of us moved together from across the country to start a home together. Finding stability is really important for us to really settle into this city we love so dearly, which we are not currently getting from our living situation. We're also doing our damndest to keep ourselves as close as we can to our work commutes and friends and lovers, as moving out of Brooklyn to be pretty heavily disruptive to our lives.

The Problem: We’ve had persistent problems with the apartment, such as major leaks, mold, a collapsing ceiling, and a broken oven. We were in a unit that had the ceiling fall apart last year, rendering one room unusable, and the landlord moved us to the next unit over without a lease, and the same thing is happening here. We’ve involved 311 multiple times already to try and handle the situation on our own, but the city has been unresponsive beyond giving the man warnings that he ignores. Without a formal lease, we have become especially at risk and at the will of our landlord. We can’t maintain any standards or expectations, and it’s become too difficult and exhausting on us. Our space has become increasingly unlivable, and it's clear that it's only going to get worse. One room of this three bedroom is basically fully unusable. And we already have fear of the repercussions of our ability to move and live freely in the future.

The Goal: We are trying to raise enough money from crowdfunding to cover first month's rent and security deposit, which as we all know with Brooklyn rent is pretty steep. We're all fully employed but between the rent and bills we already pay the upfront cost of moving is just overwhelming for us. If we go over the cost of first month and security, anything else we raise will go towards the cost of the actual physical move, initial turn-on fees for utilities, etc.

We love our community, all the places we frequent, and all the people we support and who support us here, and we don’t want to leave Bushwick! We are just seeking some much needed safety, compassion, and stability. That said, always remember to take care of yourself first, do not overextend yourself, and please prioritize giving your aid to those in most urgent need as you're able.

Thanks, y'all. Let's all hang in there. <3