After the Fire… help Ari survive

Hi, my name is Ari Rosales, I am a writer, teacher, and social worker who lives in Portland, Oregon and I just lost my home in a fire.

In the early hours of Monday, January 30th, my home, The Mississippi House, went up in flames for reasons still unknown (fire report still pending). After the two-alarm fire was finally put out by Portland Fire & Rescue, everything on the first and second floor (and even the basement) was damaged by a combination of fire, smoke, and water. While I am grateful that I was able to get me and my cat (Ramona) out unharmed, I lost most of my material possessions including my bed, my clothes, my books, my musical instruments, and my computer. The Red Cross stopped by and gave me a blanket and $500 gift card which allowed me and Ramona to stay in a hotel for a few nights.

Now, I need help rebuilding my life from scratch.

The property is part of a no-equity low-income housing syndicate called Portland Collective Housing (PCH). PCH is a 501c3 collective of workers, creatives, and artists that offers housing based on a membership model. PCH is a very small organization that cannot rehouse me. While the property itself was insured, my personal belongings were not, and our coverage does not include any kind of rehousing or relocation assistance. The insurance may eventually pay a settlement on this loss, but that money is months away, and any attempt at restoration would take several months. Even if we can save Mississippi House from demolition, the property won’t be habitable for a long, long time. This fire is leaving me homeless.

I am a transgender immigrant from Bolivia. Because of my transgender identity, I have no family support of any kind. As such, I need to rely on my community, my comrades, and my friends for help. I came to this country with nothing, but the clothes on my back and the desire to work. I put myself through college and graduate school and I am not afraid to start my life from zero again. I am a writer (a recipient of the Oregon Literary Fellowship), a teacher (an adjunct instructor in the English Department at Portland State), and a social worker (I work with LGBTQ+ youth in the juvenile justice system). As an underpaid educator and social worker, I need financial help in order to avoid homelessness after the fire.

My hope is that this money will help me find housing, put down a deposit on an apartment that allows cats, replace some of my material losses, and reestablish my life so that I can keep writing, keep teaching, and continue helping LGBTQ+ youth in the justice system.

Please help.