** Our family is urgently raising funds to help cover first and last month's rent, moving expenses, and relocation costs after receiving a very unexpected 30-day notice to leave the home we have lived in for nearly 18 years. **
Our Family Story
For nearly 18 years, my parents, my brother, and I have called the same apartment home. This isn't just a place we rent; it is the home where we have built our lives, celebrated holidays, weathered hardships, and created countless memories. My four-year-old son has spent his entire life here.
We had an amazing relationship with our longtime landlord. Unfortunately, she reached an age where she could no longer manage the property and made the difficult decision to sell the three-family home. The sale was finalized just before Christmas, and since then, our lives have been filled with uncertainty.
Shortly after taking ownership, the new landlords began extensive renovations in the vacant second-floor apartment. Throughout the renovation process, there were serious concerns regarding the safety of the work being performed. Construction was taking place without proper permits, and materials that may have contained lead, mold, and asbestos were disturbed without what appeared to be the appropriate environmental remediation procedures in place.
During this time, my four-year-old son's lead levels rose significantly above normal limits. As a parent, nothing is more frightening than worrying about your child's health and safety.
Despite these concerns, we continued to trust what we had been told by the new owners. During the very few conversations we had with our new landlords, both our family and the family on the first floor were repeatedly assured that we would be allowed to remain in the building during renovations. We were told that once the second-floor apartment was completed, we would simply move into that unit while renovations continued elsewhere in the building.
Because of those assurances, we never thought to begin searching for another apartment.
Then, without warning, everything changed.
Instead of a conversation, a phone call, or any advance notice, we found a 30-day Notice to Quit posted on our back door weeks after it had been placed there. This was not due to unpaid rent or any violation on our part. After being told for months that we would be able to remain in the building, both families were suddenly being told to leave.
We are now facing the reality of finding a new home, packing up nearly 20 years of belongings, and moving our entire family in an incredibly short amount of time.
Like many families, especially in this economy, we were not financially prepared for such a sudden and unexpected move. The cost of first month's rent, last month's rent, security deposits, moving expenses, and other relocation costs has created an overwhelming financial burden. With housing costs continuing to rise, simply finding a safe and affordable apartment has become a challenge of its own.
Time is quickly running out, and we are doing everything we can to secure a safe and stable home for our family before we are forced to leave the only home we have known for the past 18 years.
In addition, my parents are now older and facing health challenges. We currently live on the third floor, and safely carrying furniture and heavy belongings down multiple flights of stairs is simply not something they should be doing. Hiring professional movers will be essential to ensuring that everyone remains safe during this transition.
We are reaching out to friends, family, neighbors, and anyone who feels moved to help. Any contribution, no matter how small, will go directly toward helping our family secure housing and cover the unexpected costs of moving. If you are unable to donate, sharing our story and keeping our family in your prayers would mean the world to us.
This is not a situation we ever expected to be in. Instead of planning for our future in the home we have known for nearly two decades, we are now racing against the clock to find a safe place to live and move our family before time runs out.
From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for reading our story, for sharing it, for praying for us, and for any support you are able to provide. Your kindness and generosity mean more to us than words can express.
