House That We Made a Home May Soon Be a Memory: Rent Crisis

Love from our little family. Since 2019, it has been the two of us versus the world. In September of 2021, after a much-needed divorce, we were finally able to move on our own for the first time. Up until recently, we have been a thriving household full of comfort and peace. Unfortunately, this has recently changed at an incredibly rapid pace.

I have been reliant on disability since 2016 for an autoimmune disorder, along with a variety of additional medical issues preventing me from holding a substantial full-time job. I have always maintained a part-time one, though. In January, I was forced to leave a job that I loved due to becoming ill so frequently, as it is always a risk to work with the public.

While living off of savings and my benefits has been able to get us through until another position was obtained, I instead received a devastating letter.

Disability has stopped my benefits with the ability to appeal, but the inability to reinstate. Why? Information entered on their end was incorrect, showing that in January of 2022, the work income that I had received was over their cap for allowable monthly work income. Their total is not only drastically incorrect, but so are the dates of employment, showing that somehow, in the two weeks I had been employed, I had made over $1800. According to pay stubs and my W-2, the actual income was $268. This error has not only caused my disability to be halted, but they are also requesting that I pay back $52,000. I will be appealing this decision as soon as the paperwork is received in the mail for me to fill out and bring down to the Social Security office.

The situation has impacted my ability to pay rent. Being someone who has always been adamant about paying bills on time, this has not only become a financial struggle but a mental one as well. A payment is due immediately to the landlord or the eviction process will begin. If it was just me alone, I would figure out a way to survive without a roof over my head. This is about my son. This is about his safety, his comfort, the foundation we built here as the small family that we are.

I have exhausted every outlet I can possibly think of. I have called agency after agency. I have sold anything I have of value. I do not know where to turn in order to save our home.

While the landlord is kind enough to allow payments to be made, he is requiring an immediate payment of a portion of the rent owed for this month. Time has run out and this payment needs to be made in one week. I've placed my pride aside and come here as a last resort, asking for help. I am completely at a loss as to what to do, who to ask, or where to go in order to come up with the amount required to prevent the eviction.

While I know that we will eventually be okay, right now we are not. Being that my son is an older teenager, he is well aware of the issues going on financially. It has begun to affect him mentally, which has also started contributing to issues focusing in school. He should not be worried about if we will have a place to live come next month. I need to protect his livelihood and make our environment positive again.

Please, if you are able, since I know many are also in financial hardship, can contribute even a very small amount to help us, our gratitude would be immeasurable.

My hope for everyone is that we are all in a place of prosperity and not simply survival.

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