Thomas Looking For Government Housing Grants To End Years Of Struggling And Realize A Lifelong Dream

by Thomas J. Kelley
(Wetumpka, AL, USA)

My name is Thomas J. Kelley and I'm looking for government housing grants or any equivalent assistance to help end years of struggling and realize a lifelong dream of owning our own home. My story is as follows.

I was born August 5, 1966 to Thomas and Idella Kelley. My father worked for 40 years and 8 months in a glass factory. My mother was a homemaker. They raised five children on my dad's pay. I was two years old when mom and dad bought the house where I grew up. I always dreamed of growing up, getting married and buying a house to raise my family in.

I did get married in November of 1986. My wife and I have three beautiful girls -- true blessings from God. But we have not been able to realize our dream of owning our own home. Over the years my wife and I have struggled just to keep food on the table and pay our bills.

When my wife and I first were married we were worked for the same company. My job was landscaping, but my wife's job was seasonal and she took a job as a cashier/deli cook. Ten months and nine days after we were married our first daughter was born. I changed jobs to better our income. Our health insurance was continued on the Cobra Plan. The entire nine months my wife and I battled with the Insurance Company. They would tell my wife she was covered, but they would tell her doctors she was not. We had to hire a lawyer to fight the Insurance Company. This was money we did not have. It took three years and a court battle to prove the insurance was in effect. In the meantime, medical bills piled up. Our credit was ruined. Before all of this was settled, my wife found out she was pregnant with our second daughter. We had both changed careers. My wife worked in the clerical field and I worked as a truck driver in the petroleum business. We tried to save to put down on a house, but were never able to.

In 1994 we thought we would realize our dream of owning our own home. A man who called himself my friend offered to sell us a house he had and held the mortgage on. An amortization showing the purchase price, interest rate and term of the mortgage was done in my name by the bank. But instead of honoring his word and closing on the deal, this man caused us nothing but trouble. We had to hire a lawyer to make him go through with the closing. It took 10 months to do this. Then the man started more trouble and we had to hire more lawyers. This was all money we did not have. We could not afford to move, so we had to try and fight for our home.

In 1995 my wife and I were involved in a vehicle accident. Another driver rear-ended us. My back was damaged and I was out of work for several weeks. My wife tried to get temporary assistance (food stamps), but was told we made too much and that our vehicle was valued at too much. This is the same vehicle that over $4,000 damage had been done to. I finally went back to work.

In 1996 my wife found out she was pregnant with our third daughter. We also lost my wife's parents that year. They did not have any life insurance to speak of or owned anything of true value, so, being an only child, my wife was left to handle everything. At about this time, more trouble was started about the house. The lawyer we had to hire made the statement that the man was nickel and diming us to death. Enough was enough. We could not take the stress any longer of fighting for the house.

In November of 1996 we moved to a house that we fell in love with. The couple we rented from wanted to sell the house. With everything we had gone through we did not have the credit or the money. So after renting it for a year, we moved again.

In 1998 I messed up my right knee. Due to the back injury in 1995 and a previous injury to my knee when I was a teenager, I had to have my knee scoped. The doctor told us then that I needed a knee replacement, but due to my age (32) I was too young and the replacement would not last. In the same year my wife and I decided that with three children in daycare we could not afford it anymore. My wife's checks went mostly to daycare and we could not ever get ahead. So my wife came home. We needed a cheaper place to rent. My wife's uncle decided he would rent a house he had to us.

Then I changed companies. I was finally making enough money that it looked like we maybe able to purchase a home in the near future. But my job ended and I blew out my knee for the last time. The doctor put me out medically and said I could not drive anymore. My wife went back to work, but was only making minimum wage. On the recommendation of my doctor, I applied for disability. It took two years to win my case. If it had not been for my wife's uncle being patient and understanding about the rent, we would have ended up in the streets. No matter how hard my wife worked she could not meet all the bills by herself.

I had another scope on my knee in 2002. Then in 2004 I finally had to have back surgery. In 2005 after gaining a lot of weight from the steroid shots I was receiving in my knee and having five medical doctors and our pharmacist recommend it, I had gastro bypass surgery. In this year my wife went to work at a textile plant and part time at a grocery store. The constant standing took its toll on a varicose vain in her leg. The vein bled. Surgery was not required at this time. Then in March 2006 my wife went back into the clerical field. She kept the part time job with grocery store until the stress became too much.

In August of 2007 I had a total knee replacement. Problems ensued. The joint did not fully bend or extend so in November of 2007 the doctor had to put me to sleep and manipulate the joint. Also in August of 2007 the vein in my wife's leg bled again and the doctor wanted to do surgery, but we both could not be down at the same time. In October 2007 my wife took on another part time job at a grocery store. In December of 2007 the vein in my wife's leg began bleeding again and surgery was needed. The surgery took place in January of 2008. This led into an anxiety attack and a cardiologist was called in. My wife was admitted into the hospital. Most of this time was leave without pay for my wife from her primary job. She had exhausted her leave with me when I had the total replacement. The cardiologist ordered a heart catheration and a 30 percent blockage was located in my wife's heart. It is being treated by medicine.

In July of 2008 the knee doctor had to re-open my knee. He took out scar tissue and a piece of cement. We had hoped that the problem had been solved, but it was not. I am due to have a scope done on October 7, 2009. My wife continues to work seven days a week, but it is taking a toll on her health. She is diabetic and a heart patient. Both are being maintained with medicines, but I wish she could work only one job and us be able to buy a home and make ends meet. I bring in less than a $1000 a month. Recently we were told that a household our size should be bringing at least $4500 per month. We are not anywhere close to this.

A few months ago we found out the house we moved into in November 1996 had come back up on the market. We went and looked at it. It is amazing that the couple that bought it after we moved still lives there. They have done all the changes to the house that my wife and I used to dream about doing. To finally be able to purchase this house and pay off our bills so that we can finally not have to struggle so hard would be a dream come true. The home is energy efficient built on a slab so I do not have to climb any steps. The doctor told us years ago that with my knee we could never live in a two-story house. The house that we live in is very old and not energy efficient. It costs at least $300 a month to heat in the winter. That is on top of rent, utilities, groceries and everything else we owe. I do not know what to do anymore. We do not qualify for assistance (food stamps) because of my check. Every year my wife and I hope that the New Year will be better, but it seems that we struggle harder and harder every year. Please show us how we can break this pattern and buy this house. To finally own our dream home would be the greatest.

Thank you for listening. Any and all assistance would be greatly appreciated. If there were some government housing grants or any other equal assistance to help end years of struggling and realize our lifelong dream of owning our own home, that would be great.