Chronic health conditions caused 28-year old Maggie[1] and her 8-year old daughter to lose their housing and move between homelessness and “doubling-up” with members of her family for two years. Diagnosed with diabetes as a child, Maggie lost her sight in both eyes, and she and her daughter had to move in with her father so that he could take care of them. Maggie lived with her father for a year before she moved in with her sister for 6 months. By the time she was referred to one of our housing service provider partners for Rapid Rehousing assistance, Maggie and her daughter had moved yet again, from living with her sister to living with her great aunt. While her family was very supportive, nobody had enough space to let her live there permanently, which kept her moving.
With just $1331 in Rapid Rehousing assistance from our housing partner, covering a security deposit and utility arrears, Maggie was able to lease a two-bedroom apartment where she is now stably housed with her daughter. Maggie pays her own rent and continues to be responsible, managing her limited income with support from case managers and through connections to available resources. She has benefited from resources like the Atlanta Furniture Bank, which helped provide furniture for their new apartment, and like the donors who bought a bike, towels, bedding, dishes, coats, toys, and more to furnish Maggie’s home and give her daughter a “sense of pride and excitement”.
Maggie still struggles with her health issues, but now that she and her daughter have been accommodated through Rapid Rehousing she is more hopeful and expects her life to get better.
[1] Names have been changed to protect client confidentiality.
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