Homeless advocate fighting to keep her own American dream

Julia Long knows what it is like to aspire to have the American dream. She owns a home and attended law school.

As a tenant advocate not long ago, she started seeing changes that would impact most tenants negatively. Then the pandemic hit and she says today she’s in court with as many as 150 people a week, trying to reach a compromise with landlords. She says a not so widely known federal program, the Emergency Rental Assistance Program, or ERAP, is helping.

Unfortunately, there is no money around to help Julia. She was being paid through Catholic Charities and the money has run out. She continues to help dozens of tenants who can’t pay her, and she is on the verge of losing her American dream.

Julia has set up a non-profit organization. She is looking for donations to help her.

Learn how much she says it costs to house a family of four who is homeless by watching the video of Elaine Houston’s story.

MORE: Housing advocate needs help of her own