The Hidden Homeless

My passion for helping people is something I have always done especially the homeless community. A Recent personal experience has led me to become homeless. I never imagined that I would find myself in this situation. Unfortunately, I lost my income for 9 months and I had fallen behind on rent. I reached out to my landlord to inform her of my situation. We both agreed that she would allow me to apply for assistance from the state. She knew it would take time for me to get approved. In January 2023 my landlord decided she would file an eviction through the court and naturally, the judge sided with her and gave me 7 days to vacate the property. That’s not enough time to find a new place to live. Typically a landlord follows protocol by advising tenants they need to move out in 30 days and once the 30 days are up if they haven’t moved out then an eviction is filed in magistrate court. However, she went about it in a manner which was not the best way. Fortunately, I was contacted by the New Mexico eviction and prevention program. I was told that they were going to help me with my past due rent and get me current plus pay for five future months of rent. They contacted my landlord and she was onboard with it so they did the necessary paperwork and she received all the money for my rent. I had been caught up and paid until October 2023. Now things were looking up or so I thought. After my landlord received and cashed the checks from the program totaling around $10,000 she decided that she would again file for a 2nd eviction stating that I had defaulted on my rent. I was not aware of the second eviction until a sheriff deputy was knocking at the door on May 24,2023 advising me that I had 15 minutes to gather any items that I needed. Imagine the shock and confusion I had felt in that moment. Immediately I called the point of contact with the program explaining the situation and she confirmed that my rent was paid in full and in advance. The deputy said he had to abide by the paperwork in his possession. I had no choice but to leave on a moments notice with my adult daughter and her son, my then 3 year old grandson plus two dogs. I’m on disability for a physical disability, mental health and diabetes. My daughter lived with me to help me with things I can’t do. We were thrown out for no good reason. I was helped by the state and the landlord committed a crime, in my opinion, by taking the money and lying to the court about my rent being unpaid. To add insult to injury she trespassed us from the property therefore keeping us from getting our possessions out of the house. We found out during the time we were not allowed to be there that the house had been broken into and many of our valuables were stolen. She gave us permission to get our things on one single day but we were not able to get all of our possessions. We didn’t have anyone to help us pack and load the U-Haul and I have limited mobility. We were told that we had to leave and we were trespassed again. I had filed an appeal with district court early on with this situation which was also suppose to halt an eviction unless, a person doesn’t pay the rent. Since she lied I had to get out. As I waited for the appeal date to be scheduled, we were homeless and with limited income we had to stay in our car. The resources in our community are lacking at best. I called every resource I could find only to be told that there wasn’t any funding available or they don’t help with hotel vouchers and emergency housing doesn’t exist. Am I still homeless? Yes, I am. But, I have a car that I can stay in for the most part. I’m concerned about the people who are sleeping outside in alleyways or out in the desert. It’s been very cold and snow hit all last week. The other concern is the children who are also homeless. What I have discovered is that the typical homeless population is not like it was maybe 3-4 years ago. With rent increases and working families being paid low wages many are struggling to pay their bills. Most people are paying about 30% of their income to rent or mortgage payments. They are left with very little to pay utilities, food and any necessary expenses. You see, they are what has been coined “The Hidden Homeless” the reason is because they are not out on the streets because they still have a job but they don’t have a home to go to in the evenings so they are couch surfing or temporarily staying with family or friends. Some people may not even have access to that. Such as myself. I do have a friend that I have been able to stay a night here and there or pop in for a shower and wash a load of clothes. But, it’s not an everyday occurrence. I want to be able to do something positive for the community by helping people who are in need and struggling to navigate through the system. But, I can’t do it alone without the support of others and that is why I’ve come on to this platform. I feel that it’s a way to give a hand up not a hand out. I know that any type of compassion and care packages are going to be a positive experience for me and those around me who I will be able to help. I hope someone can give to my cause as it will be greatly appreciated and anything helps. Thank you in advance for your kindness and support. Be Blessed!!