My name is Shawna Patrice Burns, my pronouns are she, her, miss. I identify as a female lesbian, I’m 48 years of age.
My affordable housing story started back in 2018. At the time, I was living in Kansas City with my now late fiancé. She died of stage four cancer. I miss her every day.
After she died, I was staying with this older couple but they misgendered me, treated me like dirt. They told me, “We don’t want you in our house anymore”. So, they threw me on the streets in Lawrence.
When I was homeless, it did suck because there weren’t many resources. I would contact people and they would just turn me away. I didn’t have an ID, so what could I do? In the evenings, I would go down to the train park and drink alcohol all night and pass out and just pray that something good would come up.
I almost committed suicide. I called 911, went to the hospital, and they got me set up on a medical program. After I went through that, an ex-friend let me know about a boarding house. I got a room and was living there for 2 or 3 years. It was basically a big office building converted into apartments where everybody’s got their own little room and you share the kitchen, you share the living areas, all that.
I was kind of scared when Tenants to Homeowners took over ownership of the building because I’m trans. They said, “No problem, Shawna, we don’t look at what’s on the outside. We look at what’s inside”. They took me right in.
We’ve worked together to get me budgeting skills, which has helped tremendously. Now I’m paying water and medical bills. It’s kind of a struggle but I’m making it with these budgeting skills. Thanks to TTH, I think I’m pretty much on track.
I’ve been in the place where I’m at now for two years, It’s a wonderful apartment.
I keep it super clean. I clean it every day. I always report problems when they arise around here and stuff. I’m also two years clean and sober off alcohol, have not touched a drop, so I’m very proud of myself about that.
Eventually, I want to get my own house from Tenants to Homeowners. I would like to see myself living in the central part of Lawrence, western part of town, kind of in a private neighborhood. Hopefully I’ll be engaged to a nice, beautiful woman by then. I’m working towards that goal now, but there are some obstacles that I must get over first. But yeah, that process takes time, obviously.
Tenants to Homeowners has really been there for me. They went the extra mile when a lot of other landlords just shooed me off and shunned me away. They do not discriminate on age, handicap, gender identity, race, any of that. They’re very open to everything. Tenants to Homeowners stepped up to the plate and said, “Yes, Shawna, we will welcome you with open arms”. If it wasn’t for affordable housing, I seriously don’t know where I’d be.
I’ve talked to some trans friends of mine that say they are afraid because landlords have treated them like dirt. I tell them to reach out to Tenants to Homeowners and give them a try. They would be very surprised.
Affordable housing does help. It helps us survive. I give TTH high props.