Housing Relief for People Fighting Cancer

July 5, 2011.

July 5, 2021 marks 10 years since the death of my father. He died from acute myeloid leukemia and sought treatment at MD Anderson Cancer Center located within the Texas Medical Center in Houston, Texas. While my family and I were native Texans, Houston was not where we lived. For awhile, my mom and dad struggled to find a "home away from home" and sadly, numerous people and families fight this same struggle when they come to Houston seeking cancer treatment. Eventually, my parents found housing through the blessing of a ministry called The Faith House, located just outside the Texas Medical Center.

I am seeking to raise money for a Houston-based organization (where I live now) that provides affordable housing for people battling cancer here in Houston. Halo House’s vision is that one day no one battling a blood cancer will have to worry about where they are going to live during treatment in Houston, or going bankrupt while paying for living, eating, and parking expenses here, and their rent or mortgage back home. Halo House's goal is to help alleviate medically caused bankruptcies by mitigating a large portion of the financial burden associated with the cost of housing during a patient’s stay in Houston. By providing a “home away from home” and easing the family’s financial burden, their focus can be directed toward healing.

In addition to receiving a cancer diagnosis and having to come to a new city to receive treatment, paying for a place to live while in Houston and renting a home or apartment can be emotionally and financially devastating. While these out-of-town families are in Houston, they usually need to stay in hotels or short term, fully furnished apartments. The cost for this housing can be crippling, and most health insurance does not cover housing.

Halo House's mission is to help save the lives of cancer patients battling leukemia, lymphoma, and myeloma by offering them access to clean, affordable housing so they can pursue treatment at the Texas Medical Center. They provide fully furnished apartments for only $20 per day to people who must often stay in Houston for weeks to months of treatment while also paying their rent or mortgage back home. To-date, they housed over 330 families and provided over 21,0000 days of housing!