BOTF family, we've got a Mama who has really been put through it.

She started a new job in her chosen profession and was working hard doing something she is good at...but after a short time, for reasons that are unclear, she was suddenly let go.

She applied for unemployment, but like many of us, she found unemployment fraud had been committed with her identity, and she's been fighting to get that corrected ever since. So, no unemployment income.

An emergency rental assistance program she applied for paid for a single month of rent, but it took her 4 months to find a new job in her chosen field...so 3 months without money for rent. While she did have some savings that kept her family eating and healthy, it just wasn't enough to make up for the income she had lost.

The trick about rental support is that once you've accepted it, you typically can't receive money from ANY government housing program for at least a year (which was true in her case.) There are also no programs - except unemployment, to some degree - that will help you "catch up" after you start a new job, so working actually makes it HARDER to catch up - so, while she's been paying what she can, $500 here, $250 there, she still owes her landlord $4200.00.

Even though it *seems* like there is lots of money available for housing from public and private organizations - it's just scratching the surface. Nobody seems to be tracking how many people are turned away so we understand the real scope of the problem

I've heard people turned away for technicalities like: bills and rent are in collections but the first paycheck is a month away; they make $5 or some tiny amount over the allowable income; the landlord won't accept assistance because it takes too long or because they don't trust government funds even though it's illegal; "you'd qualify for X but that program is out of funds;" their family is too big; they are single without kids; there are boys in the family who are "too old" for the program; they failed a substance use test for a legal substance (not even for intoxication - just a positive test;) the parent is undocumented; or they aren't actually living in a shelter or their car (yes, people - families - are routinely advised by homelessness support organizations to live on the street because it's their only way to qualify for Federal funds.)

Above are all real reasons I've heard from homeless families over the past 5 years. It's bad, very, very bad.

How many of us have had a parent or friend help us with one of the above situations? I know I have. For people without those resources, these crises can mean the end of the road for a family.

Fortunately, in this case, her landlord is allowing her some time to come up with the money, but I'm sure that $4200 arrears is difficult for them, too (Landlords, especially good ones, also suffer in these situations.) We are trying to be proactive and get them this amount, as it can't be covered elsewhere, *before* this becomes a critical situation and we have another member facing homelessness.

Please, as always, donate as generously as you can and help us get the word out about this fundraiser! Thank you so much