WOW! Just wow!

A lot has happened since my last post.  You all know I was evicted.  You all know the chaos of the move.  I spent two months on my mother's couch and dealing with the run-around from social services.  Let's just say "service" should not be their second name!  Ocean County canceled me since my mother's couch happens to reside in Monmouth County.  They told me to go there.  I went to Monmouth County and was told, "since you became homeless in Ocean County, they are legally responsible for you."  The lady gave me the phone number for legal services and told me if they didn't help me in Ocean to call for advocacy and representation.  Sigh.

Back to Ocean County I went.  They told me I was living at my mother's.  I told them no, I'm sleeping on her couch because she doesn't want me on the street, I cannot live there.  The case worker for General Assistance, Food Stamps, and Medicaid gave me a hard time.  I cried and said since my Medicaid was cut I have been off my meds and I can't understand what I am doing wrong or what I am supposed to be doing but I need help!  Then she helped me.  The benefit of being a psych case and having a psychiatrist fill out your Medical Disability form...

Then I went to Special Response.  Initially it didn't look like they were going to help me.  I said, "So where am I supposed to go for help?  maybe I am in the wrong place and I should be somewhere else.  Where do people usually go when they become disabled and homeless?"  The case worker put me in a motel in Seaside Heights.  I guess I was in the right place and God was watching out again.  He gave me a good case worker who could help me.

I spent two months in the motel.  Then I had an appointment with a Social Worker.  She called a landlord on their list.  He had an apartment available for July 1st.  YAY!  He sent over all the paperwork, I saw the Superintendent's apartment as a "model" and signed the lease for one year.  The CO came in on Tuesday, I picked up the key Thursday morning!  YAY!

NOT YAY!  The apartment is a DIVE!  I brought Dad down to inspect it with me.  See the next post for the list of repairs needed.  I called the social worker, she's out until Tuesday.  I called the case worker, he doesn't reply to messages and never answers the phone.  I drove down and got hit with a ton of shore traffic so missed Social Services.  I called the Super.  He said he can't fix anything unless the landlord tells him to because he needs to be paid.  I called the Landlord.  He listened to my major complaints about the bathroom and kitchen.  He said he'd call me back to go over all of it, he sounded surprised there were maintenance issues.  He never called back.  I have decided he has until Tuesday to call me before I bring this list to my social worker Tuesday morning.  In the meantime, I am sleeping on my mother's couch again.  My wonderful luck...