Erin and Connor

I never thought I’d have to do this, but my son and I have been living here in Chandler for almost two years and recently my boyfriend of 5 years, abandoned us at the beginning of February due to what he said was mental health issues. We all lived together as a family and are on a lease til June 30th, 23. I quit my job in January to work for my boyfriend’s business and have not seen a penny since. He has left the state and I am now being told we will lose our home unless I can come up with the rent which is extremely high! My son just started a new preschool program here in Chandler and is registered to start elementary school here in July. We moved here from the Bay Area and only have a very small support system here. I am trying to give my son as much sense of normalcy as I can and trying not to have legal action taken against me by landlords. I am actively searching for employment and more affordable housing, but they are threatening to evict quickly if I cannot come up with the rent. After becoming a mother, I made it my mission to help other single mothers through difficult times, yet here I stand now, the one in need of assistance and hoping we will be graced with even a little assistance.

update: I am absolutely blown away by the outpouring of generosity we have received. I wish I could hug every single one of you. We are so close to saving our home through April at this point which is a massive relief!!! Thank you all

update 3/4/23 last night two Chandler police officers arrived at my door, served me with paperwork on behalf of my ex, and gave us 15 minutes to collect belongings and leave the premises. There is nothing that can be done til I can get to the courthouse Monday and start the appeal process …. Which can take weeks I’m told. Connor and I are safe and currently in a hotel patiently waiting for Monday to come. Between legal fees and now hotel costs, this has put me in an awful way financially. Looking for housing and employment just got harder and what Connor is witnessing and experiencing, no child should ever have to go through.

update: we were able to return home to what was practically an empty house over the weekend. Our things remain in tact but it appears the 7 days were used to casually move out and break the lease. $1000 in hotel fees later and a longer legal battle than I had hoped has only added to stress of finding affordable housing and employment. Connor has been sweet and resilient. I wish he never had to experience any of this, but proud of his perseverance

Update 4/7/23

Connor and I were able to return home on March 10th but this is no where near over. The falsely obtained PO order remains and even though almost all of the petition was false and had zero evidence to hold weight, judge chose to keep order in place because I told dispatch, on a day he was acting manic and delusional and had already made false reports to dispatch, that we were a household with firearms and I was worried that my Veteran bf was having mental/emotional problems. This was played out in court that I was attempting to have my bf and child’s father shot upon officer arrival!!!!! Absolutely not, this was for his protection and the officers protection. Based on episodes that have occurred in our home over the last year, I have been conditioned to announce to officers that we are a veteran home with firearms. Rules are different here and when you have nothing to hide, it’s in everyone’s best interest to know what’s on both sides of the door. And based on the episodes I’ve seen behind closed doors, I have every right to protect my loved ones and our law enforcement.

This current black mark on my record has already affected my ability to find work in my field or any field for that matter so I am working diligently to have it removed.

While we were removed from the home in March, he returned and neighbors informed me he spent 7 days coming and going from home with his biker buddies, removing items. This includes a variety of my personal items While we spent $1000 on hotel rooms, he leisurely took his time and used the restraining order to move out without liability, accountability, or confrontation about lease and finances. I can have no direct or third party contact with him, but boy do his bills keep showing up, most recently, his cell phones $1200

Connor and I are both struggling emotionally. He has not seen his brothers in 3 months and talks about them often. He’s been expressing a lot of anger and aggression and had to be removed from his school this past week Another curveball for a full time single mom looking for employment.

There is a new landlord in place and she provides very little communication. No one has yet to explain to me how the two other signatures on our lease were able to just walk away from this contract. I have applied for rent assistance through the county and this has been a slow process, so I’m sending this around the world once again to see if there’s anymore help as I just feel like I’m drowning under the weight of the world currently

Update 4/24/23As this moves into its 4th month of chaos, I am exhausted. The economic abuse being created for my son and I has been un real. With a trial approaching this week, I'm hopeful to find resolve soon and peace for my son and I.

Update 4/30/23 sadly my son and I will be having a Constable arriving Weds to turn property back over to the owner. Although a trial was held last Thursday and the other two tenants on lease were a no show, the trial proceeded forward. I had been approved for rental assisted through the AZ Coalition, but during trial the owner refused to accept the assistance, even when judge encouraged her to accept it. The judge also encouraged the owner to separate each tenant into thirds which would allow me to avoid an eviction on my record since I’ve paid my portions of rent for March and April. The owner refused. She would not allow me to bring in roommates. Nothing but eviction. I was not prepared for this, financially or emotionally

currently I am packing our things not knowing where we will go or what will become of us. I feel I’m constantly having to lower my standards for myself and my son in order to navigate through this chaotic storm. I will be filing an appeal but who knows how long that will take and that puts me at 3 appeals with the county currently. They are not cheap. They are not quick. It’s just more added to the growing workload.

I feel like I have failed my son and having to start over from scratch at the age of 42 on my own with a child feels impossible some days. Jobs, housing, and school all go hand in hand and I am trying to solidify all 3 at once for us.

we have loved our Chandler community and although resources are immense here, many are waitlisted with the influx of government assistance needed since the pandemic. I have always made it a mission to help other struggling families in need and sharing my story has brought so many other single parents help, hope, and resources. The ability for me to still be able to help others when I feel currently so helpless has kept my fire burning

we are broken hearted to leave the place we have called home the last 15 months and hopeful that I can solve this jigsaw puzzle to give us back the life we deserve

Current costs include back rent, late fees, storage unit, movers, exes cell phone bill (cancellation fees), legal fees, bond fees, childcare, pediatric dentist for cavity fillings , utilities, GAS, application fees for rentals, cell/internet, registration, pool maintenance, repairs in home, security cameras, pest control, children’s sports league, sports pictures, car maintenance and repairs, hygiene products, insurance, deposit, first and/last month, hotel costs, HOA fees, family therapy, post box, suit for court hearings etc …… sitting here now looking over bills …. It just seems endless some days

Ive made attempts to work through the resale of items in our home and offering childcare. I’ve been donating plasma to put gas in the truck. I’m currently receiving SNAP for groceries and am appealing with unemployment. My son losing his place in TK with Kinder so close to starting in July has made finding consistent employment tough. I would have opened in home care if I could have.