Consider this. A woman is an independent contractor; a computer consultant based out of her home. She gets divorced, and is the one chosen by the court to keep the family house. But, the property expenses, including the mortgage, are too much for her to afford. She eventually ends up losing her home, and moving in with one of her children until she can get back on her feet. But that situation becomes untenable for her daughter. Why? Because her mother living with the family is considered a tenant, who is supposedly able to contribute to rent, so the family now has the potential to make too much money to continue to qualify for food stamps. She can’t put her daughter in that position, so she winds up homeless. She goes to apply for subsidized housing, something she desperately needs to make ends meet, but finds she does not qualify because she is an independent contractor and would be working out of her home. So, she has to quit working to qualify for housing. What does she do now?
For complex life situations, there is never one single right answer. This is what makes the work of our Case Managers so challenging and interesting.
The Haven will commemorate its four decades of service to the region by releasing 40 stories of people, events, ideas, and services fundamental to our mission. We will be releasing these stories weekly, so check back often.
