We're Sick, Homeless, and Locked Out of Everything We Need To Live
300+ Days Without: Our Clothes. Our Medicine. Our Tools To Work.
⚠️ THE REALITY NO ONE WANTS TO BELIEVE
January 7, 2025: We were illegally locked out of our home in California while suffering from mold poisoning.
The landlord changed the locks. Everything we own is still inside:
- Professional clothes and shoes (can't go to job interviews)
- $70K everything we own (family photos, dishes, clothes, equipment, documents)
- Joe's blood pressure medications (he needs this daily)
- Basic hygiene items (toiletries, professional clothing, dignity)
-
Stella's belongings (bed, toys, food, medical
supplies—
she's suffering from mold poisoning too, with respiratory and emotional distress) - Documents, tools, everything that makes life possible
We've been living in hotel rooms and friends' sofas/spare beds for 300+ days. We wake up in pain every morning from mold exposure. We're trying to work—but without our equipment and resources, we can't bridge the gap between what we're able to earn in crisis mode and what we need to survive while fighting this case. Hotel homelessness isn't sustainable—we need stability to have any chance of justice.
Felice produced a 40-person choir at the San Diego Convention Center in February 2025—
in the only pairs of shoes she still had in her possession.
That's not success. That's survival.
If you can help us survive the next 3 months, donate $10, $27, or $50 below.
CONTRIBUTE NOW
🚫 Why We Don't Have Our Belongings:
In January 2025, we evacuated temporarily for medical safety: Doctors confirmed mold poisoning was causing pneumonia and ordered us to leave immediately. We also had no heat—living in 30-40°F temperatures while it snowed outside in the mountains. We thought we'd be back in a few days, maybe two weeks tops—once the landlord remediated the mold, fixed the heating, or paid for relocation (as legally required). We packed for a SHORT evacuation—toiletries, a few clothes, essentials. Then the landlord changed the locks. Now everything we own—$70,000+ worth of belongings—is locked inside:
We can't just "go get our stuff" because: 1. The landlord is legally required to pay moving costs(CA Civil Code 1941.1, 1942.4). Retrieving belongings ourselves = waiving our tenant rights under CC 789.3 (protection from lockouts). 2. The lockout itself is a crime:
3. Police treated us like criminals instead of crime victims from day one—we feared for our physical safety attempting to access our own residence. |
This photo was taken before the illegal lockout. This photo was taken before the illegal lockout. Now even Joe's service animal, Stella, is sick from mold poisoning. |
| Kern County Sheriff's Office has one of the highest rates of police killings per capita in the United States.In 2015, they killed more people per capita than any other U.S. county. Between 2013-2023, they killed 31 people—81% more killings per arrest than most departments nationwide. Only 7% of civilian complaints against KCSO are ruled in favor of civilians. KCSO is currently under a state-mandated reform agreement (overseen by an independent monitor) due to a pattern of excessive force, civil rights violations, and inadequate oversight. So no—we were NOT going to risk "breaking back in" to our own home, even though we had every legal right to as tenants. The last thing we needed was to give a historically violent police force an excuse to escalate against Black and Latino, disabled tenants. We filed complaints with Internal Affairs, the Attorney General, the Civil Rights Department, and the DOJ. None of the institutions that should have protected us did anything. This is why:
|
The defendant's crime manufactured our homelessness. Now we need help fighting the case to escape the trap.
If this is happening to us—and we know how to assert tenant rights—imagine how many thousands don't even realize they're being criminally violated.
HELP US SURVIVE
💔 WHY WE NEED HELP (The Material Reality)
🏩 What "Hotel" Really Means:
People hear "hotel" and assume we're fine. We're not.
We're in Canada because crimes destroyed our ability to secure housing in the U.S.:
- Illegal lockout + cascade of past victimization = ruined credit
- Can't qualify for U.S. rentals (credit checks fail)
- Preparing for UK relocation (work opportunities + affordable mycotoxin treatment)
This extended-stay is the same price as U.S. "transitional housing"—the kind that's the last stop before street homelessness, first stop after jail or domestic violence shelters. We chose Canada because it's safer and closer to our UK relocation goal.
But we're still homeless:
- No permanent residential address (can't qualify for credit, rental cars, most services needed to exist in America)
- Week-to-week/day-to-day survival (if we can't pay Saturday, we're on the street)
- All belongings in storage (living out of suitcases for 300+ days)
- No HOME—just temporary survival
This is homelessness with a roof. It's still homelessness.
300+ days without stability. 300+ days unable to say "this is home."
That's what "hotel" really means.
🏥 The Mold Poisoning (This Isn't Abstract)We wake up in pain. Every day. Mold exposure doesn't go away just because you leave the building. It's in your body. It affects:
We need treatment. UK has NHS (affordable healthcare via Immigration Health Surcharge). Canada doesn't cover mold toxicity treatment the way UK does. This is why we need to relocate—not for luxury, for HEALTH. |
Stella has been with us through everything—now she's suffering from mold poisoning too. Her bed, toys, and supplies are locked away with everything else we own. |
💰 What $45,000 Actually Does
This is survival AND resistance.
$45K keeps us alive while we fight a federal case
that will set precedent for every tenant, disabled person, and crime victim
abandoned by the system.
UK Relocation & Healthcare ($32,000-$39,000):
Visa & Immigration (2 people, 12 months):
Travel:
Emergency Housing:
|
3-Month Recovery Cushion:
Why 3 months? Because mold recovery requires REST in a SAFE environment. We can't heal while fighting for survival every single day. |
Federal Case Completion ($10,000):
Yes, we're fighting a $39M case. AND we can't afford to finish it.
- Court travel (hearings in California—we're in Canada)
- Expert witnesses (testimony isn't free)
- Evidence organization (300+ pages need professional formatting)
- Filing fees (courts don't waive everything)
The defendant's crime made us homeless. Now we need money to fight the case about being made homeless. See the problem?
STRETCH GOALS (If We Exceed $25K):
$35,000:Extended litigation support
through Q2 2026 + professional trial counsel Updates: Monthly progress reports through The Accountability Project newsletter.
| MULTIPLE WAYS TO SUPPORT:If You Can Contribute:Every dollar directly funds:
This isn't charity. This is coalition-building for systemic change. |
🎯 We're Not Asking You To Fix Injustice. We're Asking
You To Help Two Humans Survive.
We don't need you to believe the system is broken.
We need you to believe:
- Two people are living in hotels with one pair of shoes
- Mold poisoning causes daily physical pain
- $70,000 in stolen property means we can't access our work tools
- UK healthcare can treat mold toxicity (Canada/US can't affordably)
- $45K funds 3 months of HEALING so we can finish the federal case
That's it. That's the whole ask.
📊 Where We Are Now
48 supporters from Joe's brain injury advocacy communities raised $3,700.
That solidarity kept us alive through 300+ days of institutional abandonment. It proved that people who understand chronic illness, systemic barriers, and fighting while depleted will show up when it matters.
We're deeply grateful for that foundation.
Now we're launching Phase 2: expanding beyond that base.
In the first 48 hours, 3 new supporters joined. $210 raised. $45,000 goal.
If you're reading this and thinking:
|
This is your invitation to join. We're building a coalition. Whether you give $10, $27, or $50—your donation becomes part of a movement. |
❓ FAQ (The Hard Questions)Q: Can't you just get your stuff from the property? A:No. That would validate the illegal lockout we're suing over. The $70K in stolen property is EVIDENCE in our federal case. We can't access it until the case resolves. Q: Can't you work? A:We're trying. In February, I produced a 40-person choir at the San Diego Convention Center—in the only pair of shoes I still have. In October, I did remote work worth $5,000 but was paid $1,000 because we're desperate. Joe applied for Instacart, DoorDash, Uber, all gig work—waitlists are 6-12 months. Our professional equipment ($20K+) is locked in the property. We're working in pain from mold poisoning every day, but the system makes it nearly impossible. Q: Why UK instead of staying in Canada? A:Canada doesn't cover mold toxicity treatment affordably. UK's NHS does (via Immigration Health Surcharge). Plus Joe has work opportunities in UK disability advocacy sector. We're not running away—we're accessing healthcare + work while fighting our US federal case. Q: What's the timeline for the federal case? A:We're currently awaiting the judge's ruling on our Request for De Novo Review motion (filed October 14, 2025). Federal cases move slowly—but every day we wait is another day we're surviving in crisis without resolution. Once the judge rules, we proceed with full litigation. Settlement often happens when institutions see we're serious and community-backed. That's why this fundraiser matters—we need to SURVIVE long enough for justice to catch up. Q: What if you don't win the case? A:We document why and help the next person. But also: we need to SURVIVE regardless of case outcome. This fundraiser is about LIVING, not about winning. Q: How do I know this is real? A:Our federal case is public record:Case 1:25-cv-01123-KES. Verify atJustia. Our stolen property list was documented in police report PC 487 (grand theft). This is all PUBLIC RECORD.
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🤝 If You Can't Donate, You Can Still Help
Share this with:
- Mold illness support groups (they GET invisible disability)
- Brain injury advocates (they've been our primary supporters)
- Chronic illness communities (they understand daily pain)
- Legal justice advocates (they care about pro se access)
💜 The Ask
We're not asking you to believe we're special.
We're asking you to believe we're HUMAN.
Humans need:
Shelter
Healthcare
Basic dignity (shower, clothes, hygiene)
Tools to work
Time to heal
$45K funds 3 months of those things while we finish what we started.
300+ days is enough. Please help us reach 365 with stability.
Martin & Borges v. Castillo
(1:25-cv-01123-KES)
United States District Court, Eastern
District of California
Public Case Updates:
Justia.com
- Case 1:25-cv-01123-KES
Evidence Portal:
View
Court Filings (Free)
Movement Hub:
TheAccountabilityProject.org
Publications:
The Meta Dispatch
The Accountability Project
We're just trying to survive. And maybe change the system after. ⚖️💜
All contributions can be made anonymously—we honor your privacy.
Legal Disclaimer: Donations are NOT investments.
You don't get paid back or receive equity. This is a request for help, not a business opportunity.
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