My name is Barb (Tracey) Butterfield. My family, Jack & Annie, and our two kitties, are currently homeless. We are living in an extended stay hotel in Peabody awaiting housing.

Back last February, our house on Swan St. was auctioned by the company that held my mom’s reverse mortgage to pay the debt before we could list it for a fair market price. The new owners and I entered into a limited occupancy agreement so we could stay till Annie graduated BHS. That agreement ended June 30th. At that time, I had sent out numerous applications, was approved for Federal Housing, and had reserved an extended hotel with enough funds to cover us for several months.

Well, just moving/hauling ‘junk’ cost nearly $6,000.00, and living here has cost $922.00 weekly since 7/1. My meager savings have been completely wiped out, and Annie’s survivor benefits from her late dad stopped 7/3 when she turned 19. Annie’s applying all over to try to help financially, and my family has been incredibly generous trying to keep us afloat. Food, gas, and other essentials are further depleting our ‘rent’ funds.

We are now prioritized for federal housing, re-applying everywhere with our new, lower income, and are in the DTA system waiting for food assistance approval. I never thought at any time we would be in this situation. Housing lists, Section 8, Vouchers, are years long, and we are fortunate to be up at least for Federal Housing! We are #1206 on the Section 8/voucher list, which closed to applicants January 2025! I applied right after my mom died in May 2024.

We desperately need financial assistance! Rental assistance is for folks already housed but not for homeless people in hotels. Anything would help, and thank you to all who helped keep our house so my mom could pass away in her own home.