Struggling with Home Repairs and Rising Costs
Tammy Jenkins, a senior mobile home owner in West Ashley, Charleston, is facing the possibility of losing her home due to her limited income and the mounting costs of necessary repairs. With only Social Security benefits as her source of income, Jenkins lives on just $967 a month, which barely covers her living expenses, let alone the critical repairs needed to maintain her home.
“I don’t have the money to do the small things that I need to do, much less the larger things for my repairs on my home because this is the only home, and at my age, I don’t believe I’ll ever be able to buy anything to live out the rest of my life,” Jenkins said.
Challenges with Assistance Programs
Two years ago, Jenkins reached out to the Trident Area Agency on Aging, a publicly and privately funded organization that supports seniors, for help with home repairs. Unfortunately, the agency’s assistance was minimal. “He came to my home, put two pieces of board up outside, put a small piece of board in the middle of my kitchen floor, and that was all he had performed,” Jenkins explained. Since then, her home’s wood paneling has deteriorated further, with mold growing outside and the kitchen floor sagging.
Despite reaching out to multiple agencies for help, Jenkins says she has encountered the same issues: either the agencies don’t have enough funding or have already run out of funds. “I could lose my home due to the fact that I just do not have the income,” Jenkins said, expressing frustration at the lack of assistance.
Financial Struggles and Limited Income
Jenkins’ situation is further complicated by the fact that she rents the land where her mobile home is situated, which takes up nearly half of her monthly income. “My rent takes nearly half of my income a month. So I have to live off of $400 a month,” Jenkins shared. Between her rent, utilities, and everyday expenses, there’s little left for necessary repairs to her home, which is also sinking into the ground due to a broken water pipe beneath it.
“I live on $967 a month. It’s impossible. It’s hard to pay a light bill,” Jenkins said, highlighting the severe financial strain she’s under.
The Struggles of Senior Citizens Seeking Help
Jenkins, who previously owned a cleaning company, expressed her pride in her home but lamented the difficulty of securing help as a senior citizen. “It’s really almost impossible as a senior to receive any assistance,” she said. “It’s become a rude awakening that seniors, once you get in your sixties, it seems that you become a third-class citizen.”
Jenkins’ home is increasingly unlivable as the ground beneath it has become oversaturated from a broken water pipe. She described an interaction with a water company that indicated the severity of the situation: “I got the water company knocking at my door one day telling me, we have a few questions. Have you had problems with your yard being wet? And I said, yes, I’ve seen it.”
Community Support and Family Efforts
While Jenkins has sought help from her community, including her local church, it’s still not enough to fully address her home’s disrepair. “I approached the church that I also have been attending and they actually came and started paying, helping me with a light bill,” she said, adding that she is trying to save up for the materials to fix her home.
Her son recently moved in with her and found part-time work to help with the bills, but Jenkins said it’s still not enough. “I feel like a homeless person every day no matter where I go. It’s basically like everyone just said, well you know what? Good luck. You’re not gonna get the assistance no matter what,” she said.
Jenkins’ situation underscores the challenges many seniors face in maintaining their homes and accessing the resources they need to live with dignity.
