Client Story: Scarlet
Today, having roommates and finding new ways to generate income can be crucial to survival. Many households are sharing or splitting finances to stretch their income a little farther than it would go otherwise.
Scarlet’s household is a prime example.. She and a few close friends decided to rent a house in Boise to allow all of them to save more than they would be able to living independently. For the last 2 years, she has lived with those she cares about most, including her daughter Jessica, Craig, and Craig’s long-term girlfriend, Amanda.
Having a community has allowed the non-traditional household to face challenges well. Scarlet got sick in 2024 and has been unable to return to work since, and Jessica is a current high school student. With Scarlet and Jessica unable to work, the two other members of the home continued to make ends meet.
A group stands in colorful jackets with arms around each other’s waists.
Earlier this year, Amanda was offered a new position. It would pay more, but she would be going without income for a week or two while waiting to start the new job. Around this time, Craig’s company had initiated a round of lay-offs. Suddenly, two of the breadwinners for the home did not have the income they once did.
Luckily, Craig was able to quickly land a new job, and Amanda was able to begin her new position, but a week of lapsed income put the household in a financial crisis. Missing that income, even when it was completely out of their control, deeply hurt the home. As they were working to find solutions, they found Jesse Tree.
Scarlet applied to the ERA program and was quickly connected to a case manager. Once the case manager was in contact with the entire household, they were able to provide the home with recommendations for community resources like food pantries and household kits with cleaning supplies to make sure the family didn’t have to do without. When Craig and Amanda connected with their Jesse Tree case manager, it was clear that once they received their paychecks, the home would be sustainable. This was simply a situation that no one could’ve planned for. After ensuring that the home would be sustainable, their case manager was able to pay any past due rental arrears. Today, Craig and Amanda are doing well in their new roles, and all four household members are safely and comfortably housed.