MY LIVING CONDITIONS ARE UNACCEPTABLE

For me the question is no longer, "should I stay at La Pew Apts?" I absolutely plan to leave. The question is, how? Poverty is extremely complicated and I am open to your ideas/feedback. I have been unable to increase my income enough to have a safe, healthy, happy and productive life. So here are the questions and the challenges that I process each day.

I make 642 a month. Although I only pay 92 in rent, the perpetrators steal at least 100 dollars worth of stuff from me per month. They have gouged my furniture with blades and it appears that they have put blood on my door, and my furniture as a way to intimidate me to move out. Although I prefer a normal middle class life it doesn't look likely. Average rents in safe neighborhoods are 800 plus per month for a one bedroom. That doesn't even touch the issue of where one would come up with money to keep a decent car on the road.

I waited 11.5 years for subsidized housing, seeing it as the only way to get ahead.  Technically, the rent for my apt. is 817 a month. The gov't makes up what I don't pay. But it is a sick, sick place to live and I can't even sleep there let alone hope to ever recover from lyme or fibromyalgia.

So, I could continue to struggle to try to increase my income which has been a losing battle. Or, I could start travelling around the U.S. staying on communes and such and perhaps bartering. Do I want to rough it? No, not really. I'm in chronic pain, alot of pain, and significantly disabled. Walking is very painful to name just 1% of my physical challenges. Should I continue to pay the $92 a month for the subsidized apt. in the hopes that someday I can get my subsidy transferred to another state in a healthier hud bldg. while travelling around trying to find a new place to build my life? Should I keep paying the rent and travel around Europe on my remaining 542 a month? If I stop paying the rent on my current place, I may never qualify for a HUD subsidy again. 

In theory, the federal govt. rental subsidy is like insurance against total homelessness. Someday I may even qualify for a HUD or HABITAT FOR HUMANITY HOUSE. I have, on some levels, rather mainstream dreams. But the reality of my life is that I've been unable to attain a normal life therefore have to consider what the alternatives are.

Do you have any creative ideas? If yes, please post them in the comments section below. All comments, except derisive ones, are welcome!



If you have any ideas please click on comments. Comments from women who have ever had to live a decent life off of very little money are especially welcome.