Support Erica's Journey to Stability

Hi,

I'm Erica. I am an unemployed, disabled artist facing eviction in Los Angeles County. I need help so I can remain housed and feed my cats, Laverne and Shirley. I have arthritis and very limited mobility. I use a cane inside my apartment and a mobility cart for longer distances.

I owe about half of the December rent and utilities, as well as January rent, utilities, and fees. On January 9, I received a 3-day notice to pay rent or quit. If I am unable to pay the balance owed by Tuesday, eviction proceedings will start.

I have been trying to get my SSI benefits to resume since depleting my savings in November. There is a paperwork backlog that will likely get worse due to the holidays and fires. I haven’t been able to reach my worker for about 3 weeks.

It is possible I will need to use funds to evacuate. I am a few cities away from the Eaton fire. Several small fires started but were contained in cities surrounding me. Fortunately, I am not yet directly impacted, but that could change at any moment. High winds are expected Saturday and Monday, increasing the risk of fires spreading and new fires starting.

The power in my area was off for 24 hours beginning on Tuesday evening, a measure to prevent fires caused by power lines damaged by high winds. I was lucky to get through that without much issue. My refrigerator even remained cold. If the power is off for longer, I could lose food and whatever insulin I cannot use within 30 days (I just received a 2 month supply).

On Friday, a friend helped me pack a go bag, load cat supplies into my car, and moved my cat carriers by the front door. While it will be difficult, I can get myself, my cats, and the mobility cart into my car if I need to evacuate. My family live across the country and most of my friends are 30+ miles away and also facing possible evacuation. There is no one to help me in an emergency. I grew up here and have lived in Southern California for 40 years. It has never felt this terrifying. Those of us who grew up here, but don’t own homes are being priced out.

I have been looking for work for almost 2 years and have not had any interviews. Before I became disabled, I worked as an Executive Assistant for large law firms, non-profits, financial firms, and entertainment companies in NYC for almost a decade. Prior to that, I worked in hospitality and customer service. I would happily work any job I was capable of that I could perform remotely. This week, I was rejected from Chick-Fil-A, a tutoring company, and several customer service roles.

After returning to complete my BA at Columbia University and an MFA at CalArts, it seemed I couldn't get hired. I had no interviews for roles in my intended field and when I tried to go back to admin work, an interviewer said I would leave as soon as I found something in my field. While I never earned much money, since completing my education, I have been mostly unemployed and had to live with family. Any referrals to hiring managers are greatly appreciated. I don’t even know if most of the jobs I applied to the past year are real. I'm smart, hard-working, and have great skills, but I no longer have much of a network.

I took care of my elderly mother for over a decade until my own health declined. She relocated to be near other family 18 months ago. Unfortunately, this left me in one of the most expensive rental markets in the world without funds or help to move elsewhere.

Thank you in advance for any help you can provide to get me through until my SSI payments resume or I find work.

About the picture: this is the night I was given Laverne (tortico) and Shirley (Siamese), sisters rescued from a trailer park. Both immediately climbed onto my shoulders. I lost my previous cat, Oreo, a year ago, and didn’t want kittens. I wouldn’t be able to keep up with them and they’re “Too crazy,” I thought. They are definitely crazy. Since I got these girls last May, they make me laugh everyday. Shirley has main character energy and might be part dog. She never met a stranger she didn’t follow around demanding belly rubs from. Laverne has the softest fur and big, Puss in Boots eyes but she’ll hide if she even thinks someone is here. I’m so grateful for their love and cuddles everyday.