Hi, I'm Jessica! I'm a single mama to two fantastic kiddos (Ally Justice age 13, and James Loving age 5), a teacher educator at a local university, and a long-time East Lake/Kirkwood resident. I first moved to East Lake in 2012, and we've been in the neighborhood ever since. In 2013 my oldest started pre-k at Drew, and she's now in 8th grade. My youngest was at Sheltering Arms his whole early childhood; he has since followed in his sister's footsteps and started pre-k at Drew this year. This community is our home, one that we cherish and love deeply.

In 2021 we moved from East Lake to the Kirkwood apartments; at the time, our rent was the top of what I could afford but given the options available at the time was our best choice. Our Kirkwood neighbors welcomed our crew with open arms and so much love. In 2022 our apartment complex raised our rent by $400. While this increase made our rent outside of my budget, I have done what I could and made it work for the last year. I was notified recently that my rent would increase by another $300 in 2023. This increase makes it impossible for me and my family to stay here. When I received the notice, I began searching for options that would keep us housed, preferably in our beloved community

I feel so grateful and fortunate that I was able to secure the last Atlanta Workforce Housing unit at the Ella apartments in East Lake. The workforce housing program is designed for folks like me (often educators, firefighters, etc.) who make too much to qualify for low-income housing but not enough to afford current Atlanta rents. Ella has 20% of its units designated as workforce units, and moving into one means my rent rate is reduced. The city also places annual caps on what rent for these units, so residents don't face sizeable yearly rent increases. This program will be life-changing for my family and set us on a path to financial stability in the coming years. We have accepted the lease for the unit, which will begin next month.

The issue I am now facing is that as this was the last unit available, I must now come up with the necessary security deposit and cover two months of double rent until my lease in the Kirkwood Apartment officially ends. My security deposit is $1736, which is also my monthly rent.

I am working on all the creative solutions I can because I know how greatly this will benefit my family. I also know that I cannot pull this off without the support of my community. With so much gratitude, I ask for any help you can offer.

With love,

Mama Jess