I’m facing housing insecurity. How did I get here? The abridged version:

I got Covid, which soon became long Covid. Fortunately when the long Covid symptoms began, I had excellent medical benefits. 1 year into LC, I was able to get painful & scary life-saving treatments. I was preparing to undergo a medical procedure that I had to make the tough decision of opting out of once I discovered that this procedure would likely lead to additional health issues down the road.

I had to fight to obtain disability benefits & went through this lengthy, stressful process twice over 2.5 years. At one point, I had so many “ologists” trying to figure out what was going on with me that it was crazy, yet my referring doctor was refusing to sign my disability paperwork. And I was doing this all by myself. I also experienced medical trauma. It was scary and lonely but I learned how to advocate for myself.

I was told by doctors that I’d require a major surgery which terrified me. I’d also have no aftercare support. I put this off for 2 years due to the medical trauma I experienced. I looked into surgery alternatives. I lost a ton of weight. I started losing my hair & nails due to mineral deficiencies. I shaved my head.

In January, 2023, I found an incredible doctor who made me feel safe, seen, & heard for the first time in my life. She had a non-surgical solution for my health issues so we began a homeopathic protocol and within 2 months I was beginning to see a shift in the severity of my health symptoms. My blood work began to improve. She didn’t accept my insurance so I had to pay for visits and medicines out of pocket and they were expensive.

Almost simultaneously, my rent controlled apartment was sold and my disability benefits were ending. I had to quickly move to another place and find employment. I wasn’t even physically able to walk to the end of the block without having heart palpitations & weakness in my legs. And so another struggle began - trying to find a place to live that would accept someone on disability AND trying to find employment that wouldn’t be disrupted by my health issues and that wouldn’t require more from me physically than I was able to give. The stress took a toll on my physical and mental health.

I had to stop seeing my doctor because I could no longer afford to (I haven’t seen her since June, 2023.) I was no longer able to do the entertainment job that I had for 12 years because it was too physically demanding & I don’t feel safe in large crowds anymore due to being immunocompromised. Struggling to find steady employment, I began consulting virtually and working on my small business, adding additional services in December, 2023. In January I began a part time in-person contract assignment. It was stressful and physically demanding. I cried while driving home. I cried on Sunday evenings. But I showed up and worked hard even when I was sick. That assignment ended abruptly 3 weeks ago. Unable to quickly find other work, here I am.

My family is unable to assist me and I don’t have anyone I can go live with. Rental assistance services are non-existent in the city I live in (the programs haven’t been available since 2020.) There are no housing vouchers. Churches can’t help. Trust me, I’ve called everywhere. I’m applying for jobs like crazy & hopeful that something will shift soon. I thank you for your generosity & non-judgement. My story is all too common and can happen to anyone.