Help Us Get Out of Our Car & Into Safety

My name is Cassie & I'm currently living in my small Prius with my boyfriend and our two little dogs. I'm asking for any help possible in getting us out of this because we've been struggling to do it ourselves and I don't know where else to turn. My mental health is deteriorating - I am Autistic, and struggling a lot with our lack of routine, safety, & stability.

Back Story / Info:

I left an abusive relationship & moved to California a little over 6 years ago and signed a month-to-month lease on a duplex that I rented with my boyfriend up until very recently. I was working multiple jobs and we were doing alright until the start of the pandemic, when things began to get difficult - 3 of my jobs shut down during quarantine, and our landlord sold our house to someone that started raising our rent every few months (which she was legally able to do because of our existing month-to-month arrangement).

We struggled, but were getting by until a few months ago, when this new landlord sold the house to a property management company who gave us a few months notice that they would be increasing our rent by over $1400 (raised rent + utilities they had previously covered, but were now making us cover). They told us that we could either agree to the new rent + utilities arrangement, or move out. We cannot afford $2k+ in rent/utilities per month, so we began looking for something else.

We were asked to leave our home of the past 6+ years by 5 PM on March 31st. Since then, we have been homeless, living out of boxes we have in a storage that is only open 8 hours a day, and my Prius. We spent a bit of time in a hotel thanks to some friends who pre-paid for us, but that isn't something we can rely on people to continue paying for, nor is it something within our own budget at all.

I was really hoping to be able to solve this situation on my own via art or shop sales, but things just seem really out of my control and I feel like I am drowning in this so I am publicly asking for help. We're struggling with safety and stability, sleeping in parking lots in a cramped and uncomfortable car, and the temperatures are already beginning to climb -- within a couple of months, it will no longer be safe for us to even be doing what we're currently doing.

A few friends have suggested using GFM because of its reach, so I'm trying this, and hoping we can get out of this soon. I really don't know what else to add here, but I am willing to be as open and transparent as needed. We are hoping that if our goal can be met, we will be able to secure housing & will be set up to move forward from that self-sufficiently.

The Funds Being Asked For:

The total amount above is broken down as 6 months of rent at $1,400 (an estimate, this is very low for our current area but we are planning to go where we can find a place within this amount instead of asking for even more so we can stay here), + first/last month's rent (typically asked for at move-in), and also $600 for combined non-refundable pet deposit (this is an estimate & is based off of what we paid 6 years ago). I've also included $200 that is a buffer in case any of my other estimates are off.

We are both also working and doing what we can to find a place in the meantime. Any money we earn outside of this will be added toward the total, outside of stuff used for basic daily needs (food, gas, dog supplies, etc).

Thank you in advance for any help you're able to offer,

Cassie, Rich, Tibby, & Cloud