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rhodyjourno OP t1_j0ly1km wrote

Overview: With two working parents, $80,000 a year in income, four kids, and a stable home in Rhode Island, the Strong family was living the American dream. Then they were evicted. And the nightmare began.

After months of reporting, I respectfully ask that you please give this a story a read.

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Sleuthiestofsleuths t1_j0m9c4j wrote

I read the article and it's both heartbreaking and infuriating. Do you know if there's a specific reason they are staying in Rhode Island? I ask because western Mass, for example, is significantly cheaper, and since the mom can work remotely, it seems like a worthwhile consideration.

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allhailthehale t1_j0mkhd2 wrote

Is Western Mass cheaper? It has never seemed cheaper to me, but I haven't looked into it that closely.

In any case, it can be quite expensive to move away from friends and family. You go from having a built in network of people who can watch the kids, give you a ride when your car breaks down, etc to having no one around to call.

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Mountain_Bill5743 t1_j0qfzzf wrote

I would not hedge your bets on Western, MA. I have heard that even central MA is costing a fortune these days and so when Amherst is unaffordable, everyone who can't afford to live in Amherst for their jobs will be cramming into the remaining 1 hour of the state to commute. Then, you're moving into the territory of Albany where, you guessed it, costs are exploding.

This family is homeless which means it will take them several years to get on their feet (especially with a relocation) and sending them to western MA would just be buying them enough time to get priced out again. This story is necessary to highlight the exploding inequality in this state.

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Sleuthiestofsleuths t1_j0mmaql wrote

Yes, it's cheaper, and I used western Mass as an example. There are many places more affordable than here. It's very expensive to be poor in Rhode Island. I understand the fear of leaving the small safety net they seem to have, but in the big picture if they can establish stability somewhere else, they won't be as reliant on others for help. They've spent a staggering amount of money on hotels in just six months and could literally buy a house or mobile home in some places with the same amount. The Mom has a remote job waiting for her, with insurance, so they have that as an advantage. Is there a Go Fundme or any opportunity to offer help to them?

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allhailthehale t1_j0mog96 wrote

Right now:

-no one will rent to them not because they don't have rent money, but because their credit is poor and there's four kids

-they've been able to fall back on living with a cousin, presumably to avoid living in a car

-a coworker is driving dad to work everyday so he can keep his job

I'm not sure how moving to Ohio or something would lend more stability to their lives. Dad would also almost certainly be paid less. Seems like wishful thinking. I grew up in a very cheap part of the country-- rent is cheap, but you need a car to get anywhere and there's very few social services.

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Sleuthiestofsleuths t1_j0mskjb wrote

The problem they've fallen victim to is that RI (and the northeast, in general) had an affordable housing crisis. That's not going to change anytime soon. Logically, relocating to some place with a lower cost of living and no housing crisis, would benefit them. Jackson, Michigan, as an example. You can literally buy a whole house for under $100k, and it's a city of 30k+ people, with job opportunities and support services like food pantries, head start, housing programs, etc. My point is, it's very expensive to live in RI under the best of circumstances, and these people shouldn't have to struggle like they are. There are better opportunities for them.

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climb-high t1_j0prrth wrote

Do you know how expensive and time consuming it is to move? How many extra resources go into the process?

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