Hello, we're Meagan and Lexi, a queer couple in Brooklyn, NY and Ithaca, NY respectively. The last year has been one of the hardest in our lives: severe mental and physical illness, several deaths of loved ones, a job layoff, immigration fears, the rupture and subsequent repair of our relationship, and for me, housing instability after black mold was discovered in my Williamsburg apartment. For months, the landlord refused to fix it, and the matter was settled in my favor in housing court. I agreed to move out, and due to the case, I qualified to receive a five-year CityFHEPS housing voucher in August 2023. A local agency called RiseBoro administered my case. I slept on couches while searching for an apartment to rent with my voucher, and had 90 days to find a place.

The voucher was supposed to be life-changing. We hoped it would give Lexi and I time to finish our Ph.D at Cornell and undergraduate programs, respectively, allowing us to solidify our careers and eventually, not need the voucher. Unfortunately, it has been a massively cursed blessing, a benefit that, a year later, I'm still not receiving.

I faced relentless housing discrimination — realtors refusing to show me apartments, brokers and landlords ghosting upon learning I have a voucher, ignorant remarks. All of which are illegal under NYC city ordinance as source of income discrimination. Meanwhile, RiseBoro dragged their feet on my case, causing me to lose 3 apartments that were willing to rent to me. They became impossible to reach, provided conflicting information, and were of zero help in dealing with discrimination and the general crushing NYC housing market. Still, once my 90 days were up, I was given an automatic extension.

I was laid off from the job I loved in December 2023. Lexi and I reconciled our relationship in February 2024, and she joined me in looking for an apartment. To give us the best shot for our future, stability, our careers, and her ability to stay in this country, she emotionally and financially supported me after the layoff. In April 2024, I finally found an apartment willing to rent to me — and it is perfect. Not wanting us to lose out on the apartment due to RiseBoro's ineptitude, she fronted a security deposit and rent while the voucher was processed and we moved into it in May 2024. We love this apartment dearly.

I submitted the required paperwork. To my horror, RiseBoro informed me that my voucher expired in February and I had been effectively deleted from the program. No one told me that I wouldn't get another extension, and that an expiration means losing the voucher entirely. 180 days to find an apartment in NYC is difficult in most circumstances, let alone while facing relentless discrimination. They were unconcerned with my situation and refused to immediately reenroll me into the program, and I'd have to get back in line to wait for an intake appointment, months away in September 2024.

We attempted to find recourse through two city councilmembers' offices. While they were sympathetic to our situation, RiseBoro refused to budge, even after an investigation revealed that I'd been given incorrect, insufficient paperwork from the get-go.

Lexi has been graciously paying for our expenses (in addition to her rent up in Ithaca) while I looked for work and attempted to renew my voucher as soon as possible. RiseBoro has been spectacularly unhelpful and our savings are entirely depleted, leading to tremendous financial stress, on top of the mental illness and grief of the past year. We're seeking funds to ensure we can pay our rent until September when I can receive my voucher again, as well as expenses incurred while I was out of work.

As recourse, our next steps are the mayor's office and seeking roommates. I'm also seeking a second job as Lexi is unable to legally work outside of her Ph.D program. While this will help the bleeding, it doesn't heal the wound, and we desperately need help to get back on our feet throughout this traumatizing process.