76-year old female neighbor needs emergency housing (Philadelphia: house, homeless)

[Avalon08]

Originally Posted by The_Resourcer

Avalon:

She treats the cats as family, as she never had children. She gets testy whenever I propose options for the cats (like surrendering them to Morris, SPCA, Banfield, ACCT or just leaving them behind to fend for themselves, since they are outdoor cats).

She's afraid they will be killed in either scenario if not adopted by another family. I told her about the Working Cat Program at the Women's Animal Shelter in Bensalem, and that brightened her mood a bit. But this is a woman who has spent more money on these cats than on her own health. They are like Human kids to her. I'm just worried about her state of mind when she finally moves into a new place that forbids pets!

Yes, of course I understand how she feels, I've had both cats and dogs. I was just going by your previous post that she had taken a cat and kittens to some agency and that another person took one of the cats. I assumed the "cat problem" was taken care of.

If you can't find another alternative, maybe just let her spend the $250 to place them somewhere -- I mean, what other options do you have?

[The_Resourcer]

Update Nov 23:

The landlady has extended my neighbor's stay until December 3, 2018. My neighbor hopes to have a room in which to reside until her admission into a senior facility is approved.

[StayingAfterSunday]

Here is another suggestion assuming that: 1) Your friend's situation has not improved; and
2) you, as her friend, are reasonably comfortable with using the internet.
Since the most fundamental problem here is this woman's lack of money, why not post a GoFundMe page? From what I've been able to deduce, there are people in need of funds who seem far less deserving than your friend. Another thought about going this route: Even if the public lacks sufficient empathy to help this elderly lady, I'll bet there are cat lovers (or, generally, animal lovers) who will find it in their hearts to donate. And it is the giving season, isn't it?

[The_Resourcer]

Staying suggested:

Since the most fundamental problem here is this woman's lack of money, why not post a GoFundMe page?

Unfortunately, those three miscreants in the news (you know, the so-called "homelss" man who supposedly gave his last $20 to a stranded woman and her no-good boyfriend) have scared off a lot of people from donating to Go Fund Me.

We're not asking for money; I'd prefer if my neighbor could secure a housing voucher to pay rent until she can get accepted into a senior citizen facility. Some of the facilities have a several months to years' waiting list.

[selhars]

You'd said the landlord extended the neighbor's stay until Dec 3rd. So what happened with that? Where is the lady now?

[The_Resourcer]

It is now Jan. 25, 2019. My neighbor is still in her basement apartment.

Last week, the landlady took my neighbor to see an apartment at 27th and Lehigh, but the area and apartment were not up to snuff. My friend is 77 years old and doesn't want to live in a dangerous area.

The landlady took my neighbor to see another apartment, this time along the 6800 block of Germantown Ave around 4:30pm on Jan. 25.

It's 9:22pm as I type this. I have yet to hear back from my friend about the Germantown Ave. apt.

My neighbor recently received applications in the mail from Phillip Murray House (Old York Road in West Oak Lane), New Courtland Apt. (various locations), etc. She said the applications are several pages, but she intends to fill them out and send them in to the respective rental agencies. Her calls to Magnolia Court Apt. (Johnson and Musgrave Sts.) were not returned. She called Pastor Pam McHerrin about her rentals, but the Pastor said she didn't have any current vacancies.

She finally summoned her courage and spoke with our local tailor, who happens to own several apartments in the Cliveden Park area. He told her she just missed out on an apartment, DOWN THE STREET from her place, as he just rented the place in December 2018. (I kept telling her way back in Sept. 2018 to talk to him, but she kept putting it off, afraid to approach him. Damn! She probably could've secured that spot, at a reduced rate, as the tailor knows her from the neighborhood!)

She's also afraid to ask the landlady to move her upstairs to one of the the rehabbed apartments in the current house, as the contractors are scheduled to rehab the basement apartment very soon.

The landlady lives in a six bedroom house on Lincoln Drive. My neighbor was thinking out loud that maybe the landlady would temporarily offer a room in HER house, until my neighbor secures permanent housing in a senior facility. However, the landlady's husband doesn't like my neighbor and most certainly would object to that option if approached.

My neighbor stated that she would take a room (preferably with a private bath), but now she is getting so desperate, she might have to settle for a shared room/bath. What she really needs is rental assistance. That way, she could move into a place at a higher rental fee and pay just a portion of the monthly rent out of her social security check.

She said she would go for a studio apartment or efficiency, preferably in Mt. Airy. But a lot of studios start at over $600 in the Mt. Airy area. In Center City, some places are asking for $1,600 a month for studios! My neighbor has to realize that the days of $300-$400 a month rentals are long gone in this city.

She mentioned that there are nine houses in Awbury Park (near Washington Lane Train Station on the Chestnut Hill East line). One of those houses supposedly has/had rooms for rent.

Is anyone familiar with the residents in Awbury Park?

Meanwhile, she and I will continue to scour local neighborhood newspapers for rental ads, as well as the Daily News and Inquirer. (Craigslist listings are a hit or miss, you know? Some we had checked out a couple of months ago turned out to be a bit creepy.)

Any "novel" ideas would be welcomed (eg, farms, nunneries). Thanks!

[The_Resourcer]

Cat update:

My senior neighbor surrendered her pregnant cat "Tiny" to ACCT in December 2018 and another pregnant cat, "Snow" to Forgotten Cats in Jenkintown in early Jan. 2019. Both surrenders cost her $50. But hopefully, the cats and their kittens were placed in safe homes.

Now, she has about five male cats (four unneutered) to either surrender or place with a loving family.

[Pennsport]

Originally Posted by The_Resourcer

Cat update:

My senior neighbor surrendered her pregnant cat "Tiny" to ACCT in December 2018 and another pregnant cat, "Snow" to Forgotten Cats in Jenkintown in early Jan. 2019. Both surrenders cost her $50. But hopefully, the cats and their kittens were placed in safe homes.

Now, she has about five male cats (four unneutered) to either surrender or place with a loving family.

Good grief! Two pregnant cats now in the shelter. Wonderful - just what the city needs. Please encourage her to neuter her cats.

[The_Resourcer]

I have tried many times, but the subject upsets her.

See, she had one cat, "Junior" neutered a few years ago. She believes the operation was botched, for Junior never fully recovered emotionally or physically. After that, she vowed never again to spay or neuter her cats, even though it meant the female cats kept getting pregnant by the various"toms" in our neighborhood. As a result, the one female cat's litters always resulted in one or two dead kittens. My neighborn has buried many kittens in Awbury Park.

[chessimprov]

Many things seem off about this whole situation.
The area shouldn't matter too much if you don't have a place to live at all really. Not the time to be picky. If you don't have much to lose, it "shouldn't" make much of a difference. It's hard when you're used to one thing and your life gets turned upside down. The lack of motivation to have jumped on asking the tailor concerns me too.

Is this friend of yours a hoarder too?
If so, would it be worth it to apply to that show to get some assistance that way, if you can still apply to it?