My name is Hortencia. My family and I are currently struggling with homelessness. We have been moving from one place to another with no help. We became homeless on March 24, 2025. Ever since my stepdad passed away, our lives have become really difficult. Mom tried her best to raise my two younger siblings as a single parent. Both our jobs have been slow, and we barely made enough money to pay for rent, utilities, and groceries. Unfortunately, I lost my job, which was the most devastating part while facing eviction.

During the eviction, we stayed at a hotel for about a week. After that week was over, we ended up on the street at a local park. DCP&P were called and found us cold and hungry with nowhere to go. They asked if we had family or friends, and we had no choice but to call a friend. She allowed us to stay at her place for the night, but after that one night, it became a few more nights. I became so stressed out because she couldn’t keep us in her home due to her living conditions. She has public housing, and we couldn’t stay there any longer.

I was given resources, but nothing seemed to work. They all told me to go to the welfare agency. The majority of the shelters were full and couldn’t accept us because there was no more space and beds. I wanted to give up and got into a bad depression. I wasn’t motivated to keep going and faced the reality of looking for the streets to sleep. I cried and cried every day. I struggle with mental health, and this homelessness has made it much more difficult for me.

After that, I had no choice but to call DCP&P to help us with placement. They came at night looking for me and asked if I had any family to stay with. I responded that I had no family. They looked for family members around the area but only found deceased and deported relatives who once lived in Jersey City. DCP&P took us to a Travelodge for one night and told us that a DCP&P worker was going to pick us up from the Travelodge to the welfare agency. The welfare agency has given us a 30-day voucher to stay at the YMCA.

As we stayed at the YMCA, it was quite difficult being there but at least it was better than sleeping in the streets but unfortunately as our days at the Y ended.

As we tried looking for help from the welfare agency, they were no help. They denied my GA case and couldn’t place me in shelters. So, my family and I got discharged from the YMCA shelter with nowhere to go. I had to call my friend to help me, but we’re facing another hard reality: we can’t stay any longer due to her living situation (public housing). The limit to stay there is 2 weeks (14 days). We’re at the point where we don’t have anywhere to go. We have no money to get an apartment and no family. I pray every day for my situation to get better, and I just keep pushing through and keep searching for a kind soul to help us out, but I’ve had no luck in that. If you can, please donate. Anything helps. Thank you.

Donations will be used for the expenses such as getting an apartment and buying furniture because we have lost the majority of our furnitures.