“They called it a legal lockout,” said Carrie C. of Brooklyn. “It happened because I owed back rent after I went on disability.
I worked as a peace officer at a local homeless shelter. The marshal put a lock on my apartment door, with all of my belongings and my cat, Reenie, left inside.”

Carrie owed a total of $5,496 in rental arrears and assorted legal fees. “On disability,” she said, “I didn’t get enough to cover things. I told my landlord he could have my income tax refund, but he wouldn’t wait.”

Carrie went to her union after being locked out, and a judge allowed her to get back into the apartment for her belongings. “I had a place to stay with relatives, but no one could take the cat,” she said. “I just left a very big bowl of cat food, water and clean litter boxes.”

Fortunately, Carrie’s problems were resolved in short order once she was referred to The Bridge Fund.

“They worked with the Human Resources Administration to get me a one-shot deal* and also put in their own money to bring my rent up to date,” she said. “They were very kind and helpful and I was back in my place in two weeks.”

Carrie told The Bridge Fund she wanted to get her finances straightened out once she was back in her apartment. “They and GreenPath Debt Solutions** have been helping me with one-on-one budget counseling to better manage my money,” she said.

Now back at her job, Carrie feels she has turned the corner. “It was a bad time for me, but Reenie and I are fine and I am going to make sure I manage my money from now on.”

* One-shot deal: emergency financial assistance from Human Resources Administration to families or individuals not receiving public assistance
** GreenPath Debt Solutions: a non-profit organization providing consumer credit and budget counseling