Sheryl

Gentrification.

Sheryl lived in Highland Park for 18 years. The rent was affordable - $450/month - and she works full time as a fast-food manager. Sheryl's always worked.

Her son played in the neighborhood parks. Bet they even ate at Wally's on special occasions. Last year she gained custody of her infant granddaughter. It would be a good place to raise her, too.
Since, May, tho, they've been couch-surfing.

That's when Sheryl's rent went from $450/month to $1,400/month. Something had to pay for those upgrades. Things like granite counter-tops, garden tubs, handsome, historically appropriate doors.

Truth is, she could pay that rent. Sheryl just couldn't pay much of anything else. Her income is about $1,500/month.

For a couple of months Sheryl rented another place with a friend. That didn't work out. Not good for the kids. "It wasn't a nice place, There was all kinds of trouble there."

Couch-surfing is a harrowing, expensive way to live. What do you do with your furniture? Your dishes, the baby pictures, your STUFF? Free is never free. You're expected to contribute in all kinds of ways, at an uncertain schedule. And even though you do contribute, you know that your stay is maybe good for a couple of weeks. At best.

That's why Sheryl kissed the budget that kept her stable for 18 years goodbye last summer. That's what brought her to MetMin today. She had found a new place. She needed help with the rent deposit, maybe even the EPB deposit.

"It's a place to live. What we had was a home. Now we need a place to live."

YOU MATTERed today to Sheryl and her 2 kids.