Jersey City resident Tatiana has been our client for five years. She works part-time at a museum as an event associate. Before HRC’s tenant-based rental assistance, she was living on social security and struggled to make ends meet.
“I had a one bedroom apartment. My illness made it difficult for me to keep a job, and my social security checks did not cover the cost of rental and other basic bills. On top of that, as a trans woman, employers hardly gave me a chance no matter how hard i worked. I took whatever means necessary to keep a roof over my head. I began working as an escort and risking my life daily to get by.
“My stress level was so high that it aggravated my disability and left me in very poor health.”
“It was difficult for me to take care of myself when I knew I could not get by on less than $1000 in social security every month. I learned about HRC through some friends and applied for the rental assistance. I was on the waitlist for five years before I got the call that I had been accepted.”
“I have been through hell because of my disability, but HRC’s program has kept me alive. Now I have a sense of sanity. The drop in my stress levels has led to a boost in my immune system, and I am now at the healthiest I have ever been. On top of that, I am working a consistent job and have finished my GED, so I have a stronger sense of self worth.”