HOT team interview report 12.30.20
They arrived at 2 pm with a housing assessment specialist. They brought water bottles again. So I don’t have to leave the RV at all today. I am afraid to leave even for that. Someone from the encampment came by earlier and took the briefs to mail. Last hearing the judge asked me to put the videos of the “sweep” on a thumb drive to submit properly, so the record is complete. Since then there has been a second “sweep” and I included on the thumb drive, the videos of that also.
The HOT team themselves moved out of hearing range for the interview which was the standard questionnaire of gender identity and ethnicity boxes to check. I could literally tell what kinds of grants the questions made one eligible for.
It was offensive to have to argue with the question, “…lived somewhere not suitable for human habitation…” and the list included RVs. I have everything I need to live a safe existence in this RV. But eventually, in order to qualify, I had to agree that for the past 3 years, I have been living somewhere unsuitable for human habitation.
She also asked me if it was “realistic” to repair my RV. Yeah, it absolutely is, I answered.
At the end, I was told I didn’t qualify for a housing list but did qualify for a “problem solver”, especially because it seemed like I have a plan. But I would have to take myself to there …… ……. …… ummmm now that I think of it, I don’t know exactly where I was supposed to go to be assigned the problem solving person. Regardless, I told her I can’t go there. I can’t leave the RV. It will be towed before I return. She said she would see if someone could come by, but you tell that wasn’t about to happen. She thanked me for my time and sharing my story.
Basically, the official brush-off.
Yeah, I cried after they left. I am not ashamed to say I had hope. I am right back where I started. I should pack my car back up and just get ready to lose this home and get ready to tell the judge about it next Wednesday at 11am. Lawsuit doesn’t keep me from a second, new set of grief over losing the home we shared since 2012. Or from dying from exposure this winter.
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UPDATE:
In all truthfulness, I don’t trust this NEW news much either, but the Housing Assessment intake worker called back at 4.02 pm to say for me to ask my mobile mechanic for an estimate of what it would take to get the RV running, so I can go back to the rural life. What a roller coaster of a day. Grateful for the people who have reached out. Thank you for giving me dignity. I appreciate you.
FUNDRAISER