Jari Needs a New Home for Final PhD Year
Donation protected
Hello, my name is Jari Bradley and I am a queer scholar, poet, and educator currently entering their last year of their PhD in Creative Writing and Literature in Houston, Texas. I have been met with many challenges at the start of my journey here in Houston, and with the tremendous support of my community here and abroad, I have been able to face the unthinkable. Among those challenges is having been subjected to housing discrimination and I am finally in a place where I can no longer afford to be subjected to the heinous tactics and treatment being conducted by those who manage my current living environment.
Due to my severe mobility issues, I largely handle much of my affairs remotely. I have been denied disability, and I have zero family support available to me. There have been times where I've literally gotten to classes online after having just made it home off of an ambulance stretcher. When I say I've faced challenges, I mean that so sincerely. My income is limited as a result of physical hinderances, and as a result I stand in the need of support because I can no longer shoulder the costs of living alone.
In less than two months, on July 31st my lease ends. I am currently in the midst of seeking alternative housing, and am in great financial need with the cost of moving expenses and other important items needed to relocate safely. This will be one of my last summers here in Houston and instead of spending it solely studying for my exams and the preparation of my dissertation, I am forced to spend half of this summer looking for and finding a means to financially support a new living situation. As daunting as moving is alone, imagine having the need to study for upcoming exams in the upcoming Fall semester on top of trying to allocate money for relocation when you are severely underemployed in the summer and without the financial support of the institution when school is out of regular session.
Despite these challenges I am attempting to apply to apartments now, and have some prospective places that I wish to apply to. However, costs for applications are also not cheap. For this move to be successful I am also in need of funds to cover application fees that range anywhere from $50-$300 dollars.
I understand that most of us these days are struggling financially, and that there are so many of us in need of urgent support and consideration. I am among some of the most at risk of said us that often go unheard and unseen in the face of such immense disparity as a Black disabled transmasculine person. That my intersections have caused me to be discriminated against within my very own living space has proven how unsafe it is for individuals like me to simply exist. Pride month is always an ironic month for me because of how unseen I continue to feel despite the cause for celebration, however THIS Pride month is an opportunity to name my needs and provide others to meet with the support they may have to give. Simply sharing this campaign is a huge help, especially when shared with those who may have more capacity to contribute.
Please help me close out one of the largest chapters of my life, and do so from a safer space. Community support has done a lot to combat my history of abandonment and lack of access to resources. Housing has been something I've continuously had to fight tooth and nail to keep in tact, and with your support I don't have to face this fight alone. Please help me find new housing so that I can finish the last year of my PhD strong and as stress free as possible.
Organizer and beneficiary
Jari Bradley
Organizer
Houston, TX
Brittny Crowell
Beneficiary