Brittnie and Nicholas never imagined they’d be homeless. But one night, without warning, their apartment complex was condemned, forcing 40 families onto the streets.

“We became homeless when our apartment complex got condemned— which had nothing to do with us—and 40 families were displaced. There was not enough housing or help for everyone. We were kicked out on Christmas Eve and came to Lafayette with what we had—$4,000—but no one would rent to us without six months of employment here.”

With two young children, they scrambled for shelter—staying in and out of hotels when they could afford it. When they couldn’t, Brittnie’s mother took care of the kids while they were left with nowhere to go.

“We had been staying in and out of hotels with two kids…when we weren’t in a hotel, my mom had the kids while we had nowhere else.”

Like many families navigating an unforgiving rental market, Brittnie and Nicholas did everything they could to stay afloat. But the barriers to stable housing kept piling up.

“I just wish people would understand that not everyone is homeless by their own actions. We felt like we were being punished, but no one told us what we did wrong.”

Their story is far from unique. Across Region IV, hundreds of individuals and families have found themselves one setback away from losing their homes—working multiple jobs, couch surfing, or stuck in a cycle of rejection from landlords who demand paystubs and credit scores unattainable to those recovering from crisis. Many, exhausted by the stigma of homelessness, simply give up hope.

The common thread? A lack of affordable housing.

In March 2024, the average rent in Lafayette was $1,038. By November, it was expected to reach $1,108—and that’s just the rent. Once utilities, groceries, transportation, childcare, and healthcare are factored in, a family of four can expect to spend $1,700–$2,500 per month just to survive in an apartment. Yet, to live comfortably as a single individual, the federal government recommends a median income of $67,521. And in Tippecanoe County, one if not two adults in a two-parent household with two children needs to earn $21.76 per hour to meet the living wage threshold. Meanwhile, the minimum wage remains $7.25. (MIT)

Brittnie and Nicholas faced the same impossible path as so many others.

“Finding stable employment, getting a driver’s license and vehicle—before being re-housed, these were the challenges we were dealing with among others.”

Then, three months after entering a family shelter, they found a turning point: LTHC’s Rapid Re-Housing Program.

And now?

“Our family isn’t split up anymore. Brittnie is working and going to school, and we are working toward financial stability. Having stable housing has given us a second chance to make a great life for our children and to better our lives.”

For families like Brittnie and Nicholas’s, stable housing isn’t just about a roof over their heads—it’s a foundation for rebuilding their future.

Help more families like Brittnie and Nicholas come home.