Two Weeks Left for Section 8

And I'm still searching.  Today there's a shipping container for $850, with composting toilets and outdoor sinks, on a private compound.  These affordable options are popping up in remote areas and just outside of town; offering communal spots to pitch a tent, older RV's like mine or tool sheds described as Rustic Cottages.  Everyone contributes to the property in some fashion, so it's often rent plus labor; a new type of slum-lord.  It's tempting, if you're faced with $1400 alternatives.

But it doesn't matter much now.  Not only because those places would not be considered 'suitable housing' for Section 8 purposes; but because I received my 'revised' rental amounts from the Housing office, which I'm afraid caused Amy to erupt and fire off a letter.  I didn't try and stop her so my name's likely MUD in the HUD office. And I'm supposed to request an extension this week; has anyone seen my nose?

To recap, I sent in my latest, revised Social Security COLA letter, which was less than a $20 increase but every buck counts. I filled out the required form, submitted my letter to the Housing Lady and eagerly awaited my revised figures. You've gotta look at this document I've been talking about.  For this post, I cut-and-pasted my OLD rates next to my NEW. 

"Wow, REALLY?" Amy's letter began.  You can't imagine how long I stared at the two documents, comparing the figures from 4" apart until finally folding one to line up with the other.  Have I gone stupid?  Become dyslexic?  Infirm?  It looks like the only rates that increased are for the all-too-common one-bedroom homes; by around $60, which didn't make sense.  And the other categories went down?  Not by much, granted, but they shouldn't have gone done at all.  WHY?

"I should have kept my mouth shut," Amy wrote.  "Why should I bother putting in for an extension, when after our Social Security increases in December you'll only decrease my allotments? Your agency's rules don't make sense, but at least I'll be able to write about and try to explain it to others."

I didn't think I had anything to lose, since I already lost confidence in their abilities. Nothing personal, but why did I have to keep showing them they were wrong?

Cards for Survivors

"Your figures haven't gone down; I don't know what you're talking about," was her response, and again I questioned my mind.

So I scanned both letters and sent them to her, adding, "If I have read or interpreted this incorrectly, I will gladly get down on achy knees and beg forgiveness."

Rather than a speedy reply I had to wait all day; so I assumed she didn't know what to do and had to find out.  Her final response:

"I understand now what you are referring too. Our payment standards will be increasing next month, you can request for new rental limits next month if you haven’t been able to find something in the month of October."

What can I say?  No, I won't give up, but these past 6 weeks have been nerve-wracking.  I still can't believe I allowed so much hope to sneak into my psyche during the past 3 years.  I may have been annoyed over how long the list was taking, but still I believed there's be some sort of housing at the end, I feel pretty foolish.

OK, there is, only I'm not interested in what I can afford.  So I'll either get a 60 day extension or I won't; in which case I'll have to make some difficult decisions.  But I don't need to worry about that today, for right now we're in a lull in a deluge which is expected to last the week.  Thank goodness for Flex Seal.

P.S. To augment my income, I've  created a line of greeting and blank cards, combining my gourd art with photographs and other artwork.  Available as individual cards and assortments on my Etsy shop, and in bulk quantities on my website.   Just adding eggs to my basket.  This is new for me, so if there are any glitches along the way please be patient, and be sure and contact me, thanks! 

For the next installment of the Section 8 saga...