Housing Crisis

Dear Friends and Family, my name is James Laskey and I am calling for help with my current living situation. One of my housemates recently moved out unexpectedly at the beginning of this month leaving the rent to be paid by me and my current housemates. The person who left did so unjustfully and legal action will ensue but the management still wants the rent to be paid regardless. We are looking for someone to move in asap but we can't have anyone move in until we solve our current situation with our housemate and late fees. Legal process could take months and we have agreed on a march 5th deadline to pay the portion of rent owed or we have to start looking for a new place to live.

I do not have the capacity to pay this amount of money. It is not my housemates responsibility but my own. I have been negligent on rent multiple times in the past few months. I took time off of school and not having financial aid supplementing my income was difficult to adjust to and before I could adjust I dug myself into a financial hole. There are substantial late fees accrued because of me. None in my circle of family can assist me entirely. My father is currently living out of his car, my grandma is retired, my mother I barely know her, and I don't have many relatives with resources to help. I've been fortunate enough to form family in friends to help me throughout college financially but they don't have the resources or the will to help me anymore. This is my last option, I hope my story moves you enough to want to help.

I am a first generation student from a low-income family studying computer science at UC Berkeley, I'm a tutor for a youth center in Richmond, and I will be interning for Salesforce one of the world's best companies this summer as a Software Engineer (financial struggle will soon be over praise God). Im also a personal trainer so everyday I am helping others. I have been trying to make the most of my college to ensure that me and my family are okay and at times over extended myself partly leading me to where I am now. I'm working two jobs at the same time but I get paid enough to cover my bills but I'm in a deficit. Coming out of that defi it requires me to just obtain more money. The deposit would be used for the overdue balance and then split amongst the rest of us. If I lose this place I do not have the money to find a new place to live and I have nowhere to live back in San Bernardino.

I love my dad and he's been a working man his entire life driving trucks and working in factories. He works as a mail man 40+ hours a week and its still hard to gather money for a deposit for a new home for him. I can't stand seeing my dad like this, no one deserves to be without a home. I humbly ask of those reading this for assistance in alleviating our situation. No one has to help, this is Our responsibility but I believe people believe in me and want to help me succeed. 1100$ owed rent for February 2018 897$ late fees 1700$ deposit for Dads home