Is there a landlord in NY that will help these people find an affordable apartment and help them put their lives back together?
Let's lighten up on the advice and lessons and tap into empathy.
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One key lesson here is for EVERY renter to purchase renter’s insurance with loss of use coverage. A decent policy is generally a modest expense (perhaps $10-$20 per month) and it can cover months of housing expenses during a relocation, as in the instance of a fire. In a city like NY, where losing a rent stabilized apartment (or just an underpriced one) can mean months of hunting, it’s essential coverage.
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She needs to find a safe space for her son after school and go back to work ASAP. Being out of work only compounds the tragedy. Look outside of the city or get rid of the cars...Nutley NJ worked well for a young Jamaican family we knew who could not afford New York City while one parent was finishing school and their children were small. And beware the money drain of stadium seat movie theatres - tickets for a family would pay for food for a week.
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“Dear poor people: please do not enjoy anything, you are allowed no distraction from your poverty and grief.”
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It appears that Ms. Blake is a city employee. Most city employees - with the exception of police, firefighters and some other titles - are required to live in NYC. Moreover commuting from NJ would be more expensive and likely much longer and stressful.
Important to remember that housing costs in NYC have risen because of the influx of wealthy people originally from out of town - the affluent young suburban transplants, the international wealthy looking to park their money etc.
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There's a difference between being poor and being on the precipice of being forced to live in a homeless shelter.
I used to volunteer to monitor homeless shelters in New York City and saw terrifying things. Children had it the worst-the stench, the rats, the screams and violence traumatized them. Later, I worked for New York City schools in East Harlem-and we battled to keep kids in school who were in homeless shelters, a transient population that was the hardest educate because they were forced to move from shelter to shelter all around the city-and lack of sleep and travel time to school made them exhausted. They would come to school late and in dirty clothes -and we would bring in clothes from home and food from home and backpacks and school supplies, but nothing we did could make up for the fact that their home life was exhausting and terrifying. It was the saddest thing I've ever seen.
You want to try to shame me for speaking the truth that this family should do EVERY single thing they possibly can to stay out of the shelter system? You're doing this family a grave, grave disservice.
Being poor and budgeting in workable luxuries is ENTIRELY different than being on the razor thin edge of food instability and home loss. Until you've seen the difference first-hand, and put your own heart and hands out to fight for the safety of homeless children and their families - you have no right to try to shame anyone else. They need to fight to protect their family RIGHT NOW.
15
A suggestion. Move out of the city. Move to a locality with a lower cost of living, e.g. Delaware. It is a likely win-win for all. If they can afford two cars, an apartment, and trips Jamaica. They should have resources to move.
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And who will guarantee a job not to mention the invaluable support of having family nearby to babysit?
9
Delaware? How about you move to Delaware?
Didn’t think so.
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After a devastating fire? Resources to move....if only.
You can be assured the trips to Jamaica were spent with family.
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