A good friend was gracious enough to let my son Richie (pictured), sister, and me stay at her place for a few months with rent while I looked for a job and a place for us to stay after falling on hard times. It’s been a long and arduous journey, but as it turns out I am in the midst of obtaining a job. We also found an apartment at the same time. My sister and I have paid the holding and app fee required; we also have $1,150 saved for the security deposit and first month of rent saved through her job, as well as us selling personal effects.
The thing is that I won’t start my job in time to get paid by the move in date which is February 1, 2018 and my sister’s next check comes in a week later. The total for the security deposit and first month’s rent comes to a total of $1,902, of which we have a majority collected. Richie is 6 years old and autistic, and we need a place for him to be stable and happy. If it were anything else I wouldn’t be here but I’m on my last legs and have nowhere else to turn. We’re not getting anything big or lavish, it’s a one bedroom apartment with the room going to my son, and my sister and I each taking the living room and dining room areas.
We found the apartment after a difficult and disheartening search through website after website of “affordable” apartments and houses for rent. We started out hoping to split the rent of 3 bedroom houses with another friend, however the search turned up fruitless as none of us were making enough to even come close to the required beginning payments. Later we had decided a 2 bedroom would be more realistic, and yet again we were met with application denials which are non-refundable and were eating away at what we were trying to save. A friend of mine let me know the apartments she is living in had openings. It turns out, that the apartments are the exact ones my sister and I lived in with our other siblings and mom once upon a time as children. Seeing this, we jumped on the opportunity since we already know the area and what schools I can send Richie to in order for him to continue to learn and grow.
My friend is heading off for deployment in a month and plans on renting her guest room out to a coworker as a pet sitter since they will be able to stay longer and pay more. With only a week before we have to get the money in, and before we have nowhere to go I am hoping that we can obtain the final $750. Again, if it were just me I wouldn’t be here, but above anything comes my son.