Keep Me Home and Safe

Please help me keep my home.

I live in a rent controlled two bedroom where I’ve been for 16 years. I took in a roommate seven weeks ago. Since then, he has harassed me, intimidated me, blocked my exit from a room, endangered my dog, and essentially threaten me with financial ruin. He is frequently drunk and out-of-control. I have had to go to the police in person twice and had to have them come out once. The police wanted to take him to jail, but I don’t think jail is useful. I have a restraining order against him.

I had to retain a lawyer, which cost $4500. this is a whole, whole lot of money. And that’s just for the first 10 hours. There is some speculation that he is part of an organized effort to push out long-term rent controlled tenants and deliver the units empty. I don’t know if this is true, but I do know he’s not planning on paying rent, that evictions take time, and that I need help. He has shown me photos of a $2.7 million Palm Springs house that he says he owns and a mini Cooper he was approved to buy, all while pleading financial hardship due to Covid. I work frontline in an emergency room, and have done so every day during Covid. I go to grad school part time. It’s fair to say he has much, much deeper pockets than I do.

I am trying to raise $10,000 against future rent and attorney costs. I know that this is has been a perilous and terrible time for many of us, and a lot of us have nothing left to give. But so far he has not listened to me, the court, or the police. I am not safe, and I don’t believe I wil be until he is out of my apartment and permanently restrained. Thank you for helping if you can.