Catch-22: It SUCKS not having money.
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Anonymous
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I want to move, but can't afford rent unless I find cheap/free preschool. I don't qualify for cheap/free preschool unless I move.
I'm so frustrated. I have a 3yo, we live with family in Fairfax County, his daycare and my job are in DC. I'm single and make less than $50K, so I'm over the limits for programs like Head Start, but not quite making enough to pay both rent and FT daycare. I've paid off most of my debt, the problem is just not enough income. I'm actively looking for another job, but I'm not counting on anything. I've spoken with DCPS about waitlisting for preschools, but I don't know which schools to look into and the residency deadline is May 2nd. After that, if I get in somewhere, I've got to pay the non-resident tuition, which is $12K/yr. Someone told me Arlington has a preschool program as well? Are there any other programs that have sliding scales or are free for residents? I'm open to moving just about anywhere affordable (and safe), so I'm trying to figure out the school thing first. If we can live somewhere Metro accessible, I can sell my car, which would free up money for rent/after-school care. I'm just under the limit for Section 8, but there's a 5yr waitlist. Are there income-restricted housing programs other than Section 8 in this area? Safe ones? My family is happy to have us live with them for as long as needed, but we've been here for almost a year and it's time to go. I'm not going to move out just to move out though, if I can't afford it without moving somewhere sketchy or getting a roommate, then we'll stay with family and I'll continue building my savings. And yes, I realize this is DCUM so I'll probably get ripped to shreds, I just need some ideas of where else to look. I don't know anyone else in the area with kids and I'm a little overwhelmed. |
Anonymous
| There are some apartments that have income limits that you probably qualify for- I don't know if it's technically section 8 housing, but they rent the apartments at a discount to qualified renters (usually the cap is 45-50k for two people). The apartments are pretty nice (like pay 1000 for a place that is market cost 1600). You can probably find some of these on Craigslist, and hopefully can find something in DC and/or near the metro. |
Anonymous
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Do you have any specific names or areas I could look/contact?
I haunt Craigslist constantly. I've seen some places that are in my price range and in decent areas, the timing just hasn't been right so far. And I hate whining like this, I'm just feeling more stuck than normal lately. Hopefully with the weather warming up, I'll get back to being optimistic! |
Anonymous
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OP, Look at Kay Apartments. They have apt for reduced rent based on income.
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Anonymous
| Try www.coabode.com. It's a site where single moms can connect and share housing. This could help you to lower your costs and still live in Arlington where I think there is preschool for low income families. Also, try looking for a basement apartment or an apartment with one bedroom to save some money. GL! |
Anonymous
| Honestly, unless your living situation is awful, I would stay where you are for 2 more yrs until your child begins K. The only way I could afford to live in this area making a bit less than you did is by bringing my DC to work with me (as a nanny). You might find a live-in position as a weekend/evening babysitter in exchange for free rent. Or try coabode.com. |
Anonymous
| Search "income restrictions" or "income limits" on CL. It's not cheap, but it's a lot nicer (bigger, better location) than you would otherwise be able to afford. Have you considered Brookland? There are pockets that are nice and I've seen some inexpensive housing over there. Also check out apartments near Fort Totten metro. There looks to be a few buildings that are right next to the metro. |
Anonymous
| I am not sure where you have the may 1 cut off for dc preschools. There is a deadline for establishing residency to hold a spot you obtain in a lottery, but if you move into the city and can get a spot at a school you are Comfortable with after that date you should not have to pay tuition since you are a resident. |
Anonymous
You might want to start considering the outer MD burbs if you can't get into any income limit apts. Seriously. That being said, there used to be an income limit apt complex on Wilson Blvd up near Ballston years ago. It might still be there. Back when I lived in N. Arlington there were a couple of them so you might want to poke around and see if they still exist. If you are willing to go down to a 1 BR you might have even better luck finding something affordable. Costs for childcare go down some once a child starts school but pretty much in this area end up being the cost of the last year of preschool - especially for single moms (which I am one of!). The reason is that SACC will cost a few hundred a month and then there is summer camp to pay for. Make sure you research those costs before making decisions about where to live etc. |
Anonymous
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OP, if you are commuting to the city from Fairfax you are already doing a long commute. Have you looked in Silver Spring, Gaithersburg, Laurel, Bowie even - there are great ES options in Bowie and you can be fine there until your child is 12 and MS comes up. If you commute from Bowie, you could take the orange line from New Carrollton or drive.
You should also consider Hyattsville and parts of College park. Again, great ES options that you set you up for the next 9 years and then you can reassess once MS is on the horizon. Good luck! |
Anonymous
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+1 on Silver Spring. I've heard there are a number of families who moved from DC because the schools are better but the housing is relatively cheap. You might have to go out a bit in Silver Spring, which geographically is a big place. But as long as you're near the metro, your commute might even be better.
Takoma Park has some apartment complexes on Maple Avenue that might fit the bill. Maple Avenue is within walking distance of the Takoma Metro, and Metro takes about 15-20 minutes to get to Metro Center (well, on days when Metro is running well, which isn't every day). |
Anonymous
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Arlington has income-restricted housing- google AHAC. There is also sliding-scale Montessori preschool and another program that I don't know much about. Poke around on the Arlington Co website.
Good luck! |
Anonymous
Anonymous
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Call Montgomery County Housing and Opportunity Commission (HOC-(240) 773-9000) and see if you qualify for any assistance programs. A quick glance shows this:
http://www.hocmc.org/housing/Afford-236.asp or this: http://www.hocmc.org/housing/Afford-Below.asp We're all moms and dads and should be helping each other. GL! |
Anonymous
| Find out if you can work part time and qualify for the income limit |