“Holly” grew up with the security and support of her parents until she moved in with her partner. That was the turning point for this voucher participant. The longer she stayed, the more controlling it became. “Slowly, I became trapped. It was hard to notice at first, but he would keep me from seeing family or friends. I couldn’t go out, I couldn’t message my friends. I was cut off from anyone that used to support me. Eventually, I had nobody, except him.”
“It was really difficult, because I have a hard time being independent. I have a lot of health issues. I can’t drive, I have a hard time managing my health alone, and then I spend all my energy on work.” Holly has a full-time job and insurance, but it’s still difficult to balance the budget. “I was always the one that paid the rent and bills out of my income. He didn’t work regularly. I couldn’t cover the cost of both rent plus my medical expenses on my income alone. My meds cost thousands of dollars a year, with insurance.” Holly had nobody else to turn to. “I was literally working myself to death. But what was the alternative?”
Holly recounts the times she tried to leave as their relationship worsened. “He knew I couldn’t leave. He openly joked about it. I relied on him.” He even threatened to hurt himself if she tried to leave. Eventually, she gave up. “I was just waiting to die. I went to bed every night hoping I would just die in my sleep.”
Finally, Holly made the decision to start quietly arranging her escape. She knew she was taking a huge risk, but with support from a voucher Housing Specialist and the Family Self Sufficiency coach, she was able to safely secure a new unit by herself. “It was terrifying, and it was incredibly scary to make the leap, but now I’m managing on my own for the first time. I never thought I’d live to see this day. HOSWWA saved my life. The strength and encouragement I received from housing staff is the only reason I could make it happen. I have support, and I have my independence, and I’m never looking back.”