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I am so sorry you are in this situation. And that you have a precious disabled child makes this very hard for you. Some ideas and suggestions:
Have you contacted a social worker to help with any type of benefit regarding your disabled child? or to give you any advice on what to do?
but not to scare you - if you are about to go homeless this may backfire if they feel the need to bring in CPS and how that could affect the situation.
You would contact a social worker on what to do not Child Protective Services in this situation (just to make sure you understand). Also, having a child affects shelter arrangements should you need to come to that and you want to know beforehand about this. CPS offices, though, are pretty swamped now with the topic of homeless children, very common predicament now - and it may not even be a CPS issue to have a child and be homeless.
Your landlord is a tough businessman? He should know then, (and this is unless your laws are way off from ours in this state or they have changed) that it takes a few months to evict someone even for not paying rent - tenants do have rights in how long the procedure takes to be homeless. Again, here a social worker or maybe catching a lawyer (calling a real estate lawyer and maybe getting a chatty secretary or even the attorney who might tell you the going law for eviction process and time for eviction for nonpayment of rent). Or you might have a legal clinic in your area - but these are usually swamped and workers overworked. But that is worth a try to ask the eviction process with them also. Usually under title of Legal Aid Clinic in your city.
Do not pay another payment on that credit card for now. Unless you are using it for food and need to stay current.
Your electric company should have some sort of plan for people in financial distress. Ours does and the fact you have a disabled child should also be mentioned. There should be some sort of relief with this (but again this varies with companies and states).
Your car ins. Some states that is mandatory. You should keep up with the payments. Your car may be your most important resource. Which is even more important with the following point:
If you have car you will not technically be homeless totally. If you have a car that is a place to sleep if needed. The only reason I bring this up is because we heard of a complete family sleeping in their car at night and going places like library, parks, etc. during the day.
Catholic charities. Each major city has a Catholic charity office. They have been known to give out not only food but sometimes even rent, etc. This may be a resource that is also swamped in these times but certainly go to them even if this is not your Church. Mention your child and they may have help for that. They would know (or should) how to get you into contact with a social worker or how to proceed in this situation. Other Churches offer help, call or research about this.
There is no way to afford a washer and dryer at this time - the suggestion to wash in sink/bathtub and hang dry is good for at least supplementing the laundry costs.
Check on internet about resources. Times are so bad there are suggestions on how to live out of your car. How to keep your important records, money, where to get showers, safety, where to park (usually a Wal Mart 24 hour parking lot), some rescue groups may take in a pet temporarily, etc.
Your husband may try day labor, but that is very busy now. Read somewhere a story about a family that had to stay in a shelter. They voluntered and helped out and cleaned whereever whenever they could while there. The father was given a paid job as assistant director then moved up to director of the shelter. Realistically I know this is not a tip but more of keep trying, looking for work, realize if you do go to a shelter it is temporary.
Have you contacted a social worker to help with any type of benefit regarding your disabled child? or to give you any advice on what to do?
but not to scare you - if you are about to go homeless this may backfire if they feel the need to bring in CPS and how that could affect the situation.
You would contact a social worker on what to do not Child Protective Services in this situation (just to make sure you understand). Also, having a child affects shelter arrangements should you need to come to that and you want to know beforehand about this. CPS offices, though, are pretty swamped now with the topic of homeless children, very common predicament now - and it may not even be a CPS issue to have a child and be homeless.
Your landlord is a tough businessman? He should know then, (and this is unless your laws are way off from ours in this state or they have changed) that it takes a few months to evict someone even for not paying rent - tenants do have rights in how long the procedure takes to be homeless. Again, here a social worker or maybe catching a lawyer (calling a real estate lawyer and maybe getting a chatty secretary or even the attorney who might tell you the going law for eviction process and time for eviction for nonpayment of rent). Or you might have a legal clinic in your area - but these are usually swamped and workers overworked. But that is worth a try to ask the eviction process with them also. Usually under title of Legal Aid Clinic in your city.
Do not pay another payment on that credit card for now. Unless you are using it for food and need to stay current.
Your electric company should have some sort of plan for people in financial distress. Ours does and the fact you have a disabled child should also be mentioned. There should be some sort of relief with this (but again this varies with companies and states).
Your car ins. Some states that is mandatory. You should keep up with the payments. Your car may be your most important resource. Which is even more important with the following point:
If you have car you will not technically be homeless totally. If you have a car that is a place to sleep if needed. The only reason I bring this up is because we heard of a complete family sleeping in their car at night and going places like library, parks, etc. during the day.
Catholic charities. Each major city has a Catholic charity office. They have been known to give out not only food but sometimes even rent, etc. This may be a resource that is also swamped in these times but certainly go to them even if this is not your Church. Mention your child and they may have help for that. They would know (or should) how to get you into contact with a social worker or how to proceed in this situation. Other Churches offer help, call or research about this.
There is no way to afford a washer and dryer at this time - the suggestion to wash in sink/bathtub and hang dry is good for at least supplementing the laundry costs.
Check on internet about resources. Times are so bad there are suggestions on how to live out of your car. How to keep your important records, money, where to get showers, safety, where to park (usually a Wal Mart 24 hour parking lot), some rescue groups may take in a pet temporarily, etc.
Your husband may try day labor, but that is very busy now. Read somewhere a story about a family that had to stay in a shelter. They voluntered and helped out and cleaned whereever whenever they could while there. The father was given a paid job as assistant director then moved up to director of the shelter. Realistically I know this is not a tip but more of keep trying, looking for work, realize if you do go to a shelter it is temporary.
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