This Is What Happens When A Family Is Homeless For A Year

Homelessness was the least of our problems- then we lost our last refuge.

My family unit was odd according to social norms. Included were my sister, her husband and two children, my son, and myself. My brother-in-law was the main breadwinner, while Sis and I took care of the household. This worked out well until a year ago when my niece told us that her father raped her. We immediately grabbed our kids and left. Since then, we’ve been homeless.

I worked free-lance and made enough to support the family as long as we stayed on a budget. However, I never brought in enough money to move into a new home that would accept all of us. My sister was disabled but began looking for work anyway with little success.

We needed to stay close by for criminal proceedings, working with child protective services, getting the kids into therapy, talking to lawyers, talking to the police- the list goes on. We moved place-to-place within our small town. We stayed in hotels and spent nights with friends and family.

Meanwhile, the kids needed our attention more than ever, and we had no idea what we were doing. Everyday, Sis and I woke up terrified at what new hell the day would bring. Suicide attempts, cutting with razors, break-downs, running…