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ISO a home (Glenwood Springs)
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I know that what I’m about to say may sound insane to some people. At a different time in my life, this request would have struck me much in the same way. However, I truly hope whoever reads this can open their mind and empathy to me.
My name is Chelsea. I am 32 years old. I come with a cat and dog who mean everything to me. I grew up in poverty and have never known financial stability. It has taught me to live very modestly. I cannot remember the last time I had only one job and have had as many as seven at once before. I pride myself on being a hard worker wherever I am employed, even if it’s not work I enjoy, and I take as much work as I need to get by, even when it has worsened my health.
I went to three colleges, but due to chronic health issues, I did not graduate from any of them. Despite not having health insurance most of the time, I have sought the opinions of several doctors, but one of my health issues remains undiagnosed. I have considered going back to school, but this has stopped me.
While I love my chosen family, they are spread out these days. My relationships with most of my biological family are very strained due to several issues. Some of them have treated me very poorly… None of my chosen family or my biological family that I am close with have the means to help financially or co-sign for me.
Even though I work several jobs, I am often barely able to scrape by. My payment history is excellent because I always budget to pay my bills first. However, due to the fact that I don’t have credit history, and I applied for a personal loan (which I was denied), my credit score needs work.
I have not experienced housing stability in years. At one place I lived, the house had black mold, and the owner decided he was going to sell the home unexpectedly. He told us we had a month to leave. We scrambled. The duplex I lived in next had a bug infestation. The owners had to break our lease because they were unwilling to take care of it until we left, and the place was uninhabitable. Again, we scrambled. My roommate was even homeless for a while due to the situation. The basement apartment I was in after that also had mold, and I went through a terrible breakup there, which led to my ex telling me I had to hurry up and leave.
I really thought I’d found my footing again and regained that lost stability while living in my current apartment. I was living with someone I’d lived with for many years prior, we had been friends even longer. Their partner also lived with us. Out of left field, they ended our friendship and said they would not live with me again at the end of our lease, leaving me with little time to figure out my next step. It feels like a rug has been pulled out from under my feet.
They told me this three months before the lease ends. Now I’m down to a month and a half left, the situation has become more complicated by the day, and I am facing down the barrel of houselessness. I did tell the complex I would stay at the apartment, even though I don’t make enough to cover rent. I though I’d have some time to figure it out and maybe find a better job, but I don’t make 3Xs the rent, so I was not approved. [[[Due to that, whether I stay or go at this point, my credit will take another hit, and I will have to pay a large sum or many fees, depending.
The nonstop stress, anxiety, and physical pain that I have endured, particularly over the last seven years, has exacerbated my health problems. I was even diagnosed with CPTSD. For as long as I can now remember, I have been living in survival mode. I have tried both conventional and unconventional routes to access more stability in life and find a place for myself that is safe and welcoming, but desperate times are pushing me toward even more out-of-the-box measures.
Therefore, I am currently in search of a kind individual willing to give or sell to me their home. I can pay next to nothing. This request is definitely directed toward those who are deeply charitable by nature, perhaps an older individual with no family to pass their belongings to. And I’m not picky. I could live in an RV, van, or tiny home just as easily given there is some place to put it.
I can hear it already. “You’re just asking for a handout.” I understand some people feel the need to frame my situation in that light to make sense of it all. I don’t personally see it that way, but maybe I am, in a sense. I cannot continue living this way. I need help, and I’m not above asking for it.
I have no partner, no children, hardly any biological family left, no savings despite my three, sometimes four, current jobs, chronic health concerns, and two fur babies I could never give up and must care for. As I type this, I have no idea what my next move is other than to continue exhausting all possible options, including this one.
It is not my plan to stop working hard to achieve my goals. I care deeply for community and want to contribute. However, I am not sure how to continue to be capable of that with the way things are going. I crave knowing a true home, a place I belong. I ask that those with judgements keep them to themselves. I do not wish to be kicked while I am already down and making myself incredibly vulnerable.
I know it is a HUGE ask, and though I’m not too proud to ask for the help, I do feel a lot of shame that I haven’t been able to figure it out on my own. I typed this out after many months of consideration. My mother’s half sister and her husband were recently moved to a home for care because they both have severe dementia. They had a beautiful house, but it will be sold to fund their care. It’s what got me thinking that someone out there may have what I need, no use for it, and a philosophy of helping others, which actually doesn’t sound crazy to me at all these days.
Especially in a society that has so many abandoned homes and that can be wasteful, a shelter you don’t need could forever change my life. Thank you for taking the time to read this. I hope you are always housed, fed, and cared for, and I hope the same for me too. I promise once I’m back on my feet to pay it forward. 💛