Why are Children Now Living in Cars?

Marie, mother of two autistic children, Madeline, 5, and Daniel, 3, has faced unimaginable hardships. Nine years ago, she lived a fulfilling life in Haiti, working as a government administrator. However, political unrest following the 2016 election forced her to flee after she was brutally beaten and assaulted by militants because of her job. With her family facing continued threats, Marie escaped to the U.S. in 2017, where she was immediately granted asylum and work authorization.

Through a family connection, Marie came to Boston to rebuild her life. She initially found good-paying work as a technical translation consultant, which allowed her to support herself. She fell in love, got married and began building a family with her husband. The economic crash from the pandemic brought an end to Marie’s job, so she began night classes to become a CNA (Certified Nursing Assistant) while caring for her two children during the day. The stress of raising two children with developmental delays eventually strained Marie and her husband’s relationship, leading to domestic violence.

To protect her family, Marie made the difficult decision to ask her husband to leave their Allston apartment. Despite working full days and returning to school to become a Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) for better income, Marie continued struggling to make ends meet. She obtained rental assistance benefits to tide her over until she could gain better employment.

Marie’s situation worsened a year later when she tried to renew her rental assistance benefits. Her landlord, who had previously made discriminatory comments about her background and her children’s diagnoses, made it clear that he did not want her family living in his building. Despite being approved for state rental assistance, Marie was unable to use the benefit because the landlord deliberately refused to complete the necessary paperwork. As a result, he evicted her and her children from the apartment.

Marie went to the state to seek shelter. She was told that she was eligible, but there was no more room, and she would have to wait for six months. She was turned away from a hospital and the airport when she sought a safe roof for her children.

With no other options, Madeline, Daniel and Marie ended up living in their car, ironically, through Independence Day weekend. For three weeks, and through the hottest nights of the year, Marie parked near Boston Medical Center. She used the hospital restroom to wash herself and her children before dropping them off at daycare and heading to work. She’d pick them up after she finished work and head back to the BMC’s parking lot. While her children slept in the back seat, Marie used a flashlight to study for her classes. She slept a few hours each night before starting the cycle over the next day.

On the fourth week, a sympathetic Boston police officer, finding the family in their car, listened to Marie’s story. Realizing there was nowhere else to go, the officer called a city councilor, who immediately contacted FamilyAid. Within one hour, FamilyAid Director of Housing Search and Placement Audrey Beare secured a temporary, privately funded apartment for the family. Marie later described Audrey as “an angel sent by God,” saying, “I would’ve still been on the streets with my kids if it hadn’t been for her and FamilyAid.”

Thanks to FamilyAid’s rapid rehousing program, Marie, Madeline and Daniel are now just weeks away from moving into stable housing in Malden. Audrey and her staff are now working to ensure that all three members have the wraparound supports they need to succeed in the long run.

Despite having done everything right, from seeking asylum to working and attending school, the realities of the family homelessness crisis continued to throw overwhelming challenges Marie and her children’s way.

But with unwavering resilience and the critical support of FamilyAid, Marie is now on the path to creating a secure and stable home for her children.