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Support Edward's Fight for Stability and Justice

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Help Edward Overcome Housing and Disability Challenges


Hello,

My name is Edward, and I am reaching out during one of the most challenging times of my life. I’m navigating the devastating impacts of late-diagnosed disabilities, housing instability, and unemployment while fighting to secure a better future for myself and my girlfriend.

Our Story

Throughout my life, I have been battling severe disabilities, including Idiopathic Hypersomnia, Autism, ADHD, and PTSD. Despite having these conditions all my life they were only diagnosed within the last year. They significantly impact my ability to stay awake, my memory, my ability to think, manage social and professional life, communicate, and function, making everyday life a struggle. Despite these challenges, I’ve been working hard to build and maintain stability.

I'm currently 30 years old but my life has been riddled with challenges due to these undiagnosed disabilities. At 18, I was homeless and struggled greatly with my mental health. I found a path forward with IT certifications I earned during high school. I attempted to build a career despite the significant challenges I faced, not understanding why I always felt so unequipped and struggled so much with seemingly simple parts of life, both socially and professionally. I was constantly being told I was lazy, stupid, or crazy when I tried to explain the struggles I faced. I was constantly asked if I was abusing drugs or alcohol due to my physical state because of my disabilities, and regularly struggled to earn respect despite a strong work ethic and ability. I always felt isolated and was regularly rejected from life and society due to my disabilities. This led to continued trauma and isolation.

My conditions were severe enough that, before formal diagnosis, my doctors advised that I could not drive long distances for work, as I was regularly falling asleep while driving. I would lose consciousness while talking, eating, and working. Since this was how my life had always been and I was always told I was to blame, I assumed that it was something normal that I would always have to deal with.

I now have answers, having been properly diagnosed as an adult and beginning treatments and programs, but the damage to my life during this time has been overwhelming. I've tried to find support through government and community programs, but this turning point in my life has made these challenges impossible to navigate.

My conditions have worsened. I am having more problems managing my life. My memory, ability to think, stay conscious, and manage just about anything over a long period of time became more and more impaired.

During this time and despite being aware of the challenges I faced, my apartment's property management company filed an improper and unlawful eviction against us, forcing us into stressful and complex litigation. A variety of factors and gaps in state assistance forced us to represent ourselves pro se, adding to the layers of complexity and impact on our lives.

The property management company took, I allege, retaliatory and arguably harassing actions, such as withholding access to vital resources and issuing improper debt collection attempts. I have filed complaints with regulatory agencies and legal actions against the property management company, but these take a very long time to investigate, and even longer for any actionable results.

I was able to defend successfully against the eviction. The court ruled it was fatally flawed and ordered it to be dismissed and expunged, but the improper actions of the property management company came at great cost to my mental health, physical health, and my already impacted finances.

The stress of these events caused severe emotional and physical tolls. I was hospitalized due to a stress-related unresponsive state while attending a standard physical therapy appointment, and have required assistance from 911 for various mental health crises that occurred during these events. The compounding pressure led to the loss of my job; my disabilities worsened and my performance at work suffered, leading to eventually led to termination. As proof, I have received a letter of determination from unemployment stating that my termination was not the result of neglect or employee misconduct.

Why We Need Your Help

We are now at a crossroads. Without stable income or housing security, we are facing immense financial hardship:

When the eviction was first filed improperly, we had the funds to pay rent that month but our attempts to pay were denied by the landlord. As litigation went on, we made escrow payments with the court. Things seemed to be going well enough, until the loss of my employment.

Now that I am unemployed, my income has been removed and we are unable to make payments for rent that normally would not have been an issue. The landlord blocked payment from us, and continues to charge late fees. We are unable to cancel our lease agreement, as the amounts and fees are significant and would bar us from being able to secure new housing. Additionally, there is fear that the landlord will retaliate by accelerating all rent for the year through a clause on the lease.

I now must file bankruptcy to manage our debts and protect our housing.

We need funds to cover living expenses, moving costs, legal fees, and the continued piling of medical bills.

We are pursuing legal options regarding the impact of these distressing and wrong decisions from the landlord, but the resources available to us currently make this extremely challenging.

How Your Support Will Help

Your generosity can help us:

Pay off outstanding rent and legal fees to avoid future eviction and regain stability.

Cover legal and filing fees for the bankruptcy.

Secure basic necessities while I search for new employment and navigate disability support systems.

Address past and ongoing medical expenses related to my conditions and treatments.

Your Impact

By supporting us, you’re helping two people in crisis regain hope and stability. Your kindness will allow us to overcome these challenges and focus on rebuilding our lives. We are committed to making the most of every dollar donated, and we will keep you updated on how your contributions are making a difference.

Thank You

I know times are difficult for everyone, and I greatly appreciate each and every person who's taken the time to read and consider our story. Now that I'm aware of my disabilities and shortcomings in life, and now that I've found someone I feel loves me and supports me in ways I never knew was possible, I desperately want to find stability so we can grow together and build a family. I believed I had finally begun taking steps toward exactly that, but it now feels like every turn in life has walls I was never supposed to scale.

With the proper support and structures being accessed, slowly, I believe this can change moving forward. But for now, our lives face imminent risk and danger as public and government resources are slow or barred due to the various overlapping factors. Any assistance you can provide is a crucial step toward helping us overcome these seemingly insurmountable challenges. It will allow us to rebuild and finally address the disabilities that have caused so much suffering for so long. It will also enable us to take the legal steps required to hold our property manager accountable for their illegal actions, and further build paths for support and stability to other tenants facing similar hardships due to systemic failings.

Thank you again for taking the time to read our story.

Sincerely,
Edward

I am happy to answer any questions or provide verification of any and all events described, but must redact and censor various information for privacy and legal concerns. I hope I have everyone's understanding that some of the events, even if we firmly believe they have occurred and have evidence of. For this reason, certain information must be redacted, including names of individuals and businesses, or specific accusations until further legal consultation.

I will provide updates as our story evolves. Thank you again for your consideration.




Organizer

Ed Hamm
Organizer
Minneapolis, MN

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