Written by: Nicole Harris-Armstrong

Last updated: March 13, 2025

“This post may contain affiliate links. Meaning, I get a commission if you purchase through my links, at no cost to you. Read the full disclosure here. “

It’s tax time, as for most of us taxes are due on April 15th. Many of us say ugh when it’s tax time for many reasons, as it is one extra thing we have to do. For some of us, doing taxes is less of an ugh because we are getting money back from the IRS, which is always nice. For the others of us, doing taxes is more of an ugh when it’s tax time because we need to pay money back to the IRS which is not always nice. In this blog post, we are going to discuss budgeting, the tax system, income taxes, filing for taxes, and tax havens.

My Personal Experience with Budgeting

When I first went through a divorce, there were concerns that I had regarding filing my taxes and budgeting. Prior to my marriage, I did my own taxes and knew how to budget. When I got married my husband wanted to take on the taxes and bill payments, so there were many years that I did not complete those tasks. When we went through a divorce, I realized that it is possible to forget skills that you once had if you do not use them. Therefore, I had concerns regarding balancing the budget and doing my taxes. Living within your budget often takes self-control, however it can be rewarding once you get the hang of it. Budget is a word that we sometimes do not like to hear, but it is necessary if we want to live within our means. We do not like to hear the word budget because it means that we may need to tell ourselves “no” to wants and, in some cases, basic needs which is far from fun. However, if you budget well, you may have a sense of freedom as your finances no longer consume or worry you, and you are more in control of your destiny. The first step to budgeting is finding the total amount of income you bring in monthly. Then add up all the expenses that you incur each month. Subtract your monthly expenses from your monthly income and voila, you will now know if you have a surplus (extra money to spend) or a debt (no extra money to spend). I created a Basic Bills Tracker and Budget Planner that I personally use in which you can find directly on my blog Shop page and on Etsy. It is a user-friendly one-page customizable spreadsheet, which shows your yearly financial status at a glance to help empower you to achieve financial wellness and freedom. It has been immensely helpful to me to stay on point with tracking my monthly payments. To use or not to use the Basic Bills Tracker & Budget Planner, it is up to you, but I definitely do!

It’s Tax Time: My Personal Experience with Federal Income Tax

After my marriage ended, completing taxes became a concern for me. When I heard the words “it’s tax time,” it felt daunting to complete the task. At first, I decided it was best to find a local place to help me. I found H&R Block, and I am very thankful to have a resource like them that helped me through a tough time. Later, I heard of people using Turbo Tax in which you can file your own taxes. I decided to file my own taxes like I did many years ago, which required me to upload documents and input information. At first, I had a lot over my head to complete, and wondered if I could do it. Even though I budgeted and prepared my taxes prior to my marriage, I had lost confidence in my own abilities. Little by little I prepared my own taxes, and by the end of filing taxes I felt accomplished. I questioned why I stressed so much over doing my own taxes. I now have more confidence in budgeting and doing taxes when it’s tax time once again. If you are questioning how you will be able to complete these financial feats on your own, I was once there and it is possible. Even though you can utilize the H&R Block and Turbo Tax websites to help you like I did, you can also purchase H&R Block software and Turbo Tax software through the links as well. I recently found that if you make under a certain threshold, you may be eligible to file your taxes for free when it’s tax time, in which you can find more information through this irs.gov link. Also, AARP may offer free help with filing your taxes if you are over 50 years old and have low to moderate income, in which you can find more information through this aarp.org link.

It’s Tax Time: Federal Income Tax Brackets and Deductions

For some of us that earn a reportable income, the IRS has set up tax bracket tables. The income you make will determine which percentage of taxes you need to pay based on the bracket it falls into. The Federal Income Tax Rates & Brackets can be found on irs.gov. When it’s tax time, depending on your income, which bracket the income falls into, and deductions will determine the taxes you owe from the previous year. Many of us choose to opt for the standard deduction which is a set amount of money that taxpayers can deduct from their taxable income. If it makes sense, some people choose to itemize their taxes if that amount is higher than the standard deduction.

There are certain automatic deductions that are taken out of your paycheck such as Medicare and Social Security. As a W-2 employee, you pay half of the Medicare and Social Security tax, and your employer pays the other half. On top of income tax, Medicare tax, and Social Security tax, some people live in states in which there is a state tax as well. There are methods by which wage earners can save for the future that are eligible for tax deductions. 401K plans are a way to save for retirement which can help reduce income taxes. Some employers match your 401K contributions, which may be a benefit to put in the percentage of money that your employer will match. The other contributions that may be tax deductible are plans such as Health Savings Accounts (HSA), Dependent Care Accounts, plus more in which you can talk with your tax professional more about.

Tax Haven’s in America and Worldwide

In recent years, there have been various reports of secretive tax havens all over the world. America has tried to combat this issue by a few measures. In 2010, it implemented the Foreign Tax and Compliance Act which requires other countries to report American citizen assets to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The United States it is one of the countries that tax their citizens on worldwide income, which means that American citizens cannot move their money to a country that has low- or no-income taxes. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), which is comprised of 38 member countries, and the G-20 Industrialized nations have addressed the issue of tax havens as well. On top of that, the American IRS and Department of Justice have teamed up to monitor tax havens. With all of that said, America has refused the Common Reporting Standard which means America receives its citizens tax and asset information from abroad but is not required to share tax and asset information with this group. As a result, America has become a popular destination of offshore funds. Certain states in America such as Delaware, Nevada, South Dakota, Wyoming plus others have become the largest tax havens in the world through business, shell corporations, trusts, and real estate. There is a report that congress.gov published January 6, 2022, which is titled Tax Havens: International Tax Avoidance and Evasion that cited the Pandora Papers that were written by many journalists in 2021 who also wrote the Panama Papers in 2016. The investigative journalism involved in the Pandora and Panama Papers has led some journalists to express concerns about their personal safety due to the sensitive nature of the subjects they are reporting on for the public. The Tax Havens: International Tax Avoidance and Evasion report discussed how people were able to evade taxes on passive income, trusts, and shell companies by not reporting their income earned abroad. There are leaders and journalists that at are trying to make the world a better place by reporting and acting upon financial corruption.

Ways The Rich Avoid Taxes

Income is taxed in America through federal income taxes. There are high-net-worth individuals minimizing their tax liabilities by investing in assets such as real estate, stocks, art, and jewelry, rather than keeping substantial funds in bank accounts that are subject to interest tax. There are wealthy citizens that have decided that income tax should not apply to them, so they have maneuvered ways to earn little income. How do they do this? They manage schemes to profit-shift from high tax territories to low tax territories. They can write things off such as their own charities, jet, and yacht purchases. If they own a corporation or real estate, they can live off loans borrowed against their assets as borrowed money is not income, so it is not taxable. In essence, the rich that do this live off of credit and loans. The rich are accommodated very well when credit and loans come with a low interest rate that stimulates the economy and speculation. They also invest in certain assets, and once the assets they invested their money in become inflated, their debts become less in comparison to the inflated asset. They can inflate away their debts by doing this. We have heard of politicians talk about the capital gains tax, and how it needs to be improved. The rich invest in assets or stocks that cannot be taxed until sold in America, but some countries do not have a capital gains tax at all so there are even some loopholes to that. Some of the rich get away with not paying the capital gains tax by harvesting capital losses to offset capital gains, move to a state that does not have state tax, donate stock rather than cash to charity, and change the tax code to attract investment in opportunity zones and pass through businesses to benefit themselves. Not only do the rich see their real estate investment go up in distressed low-income communities that they gentrify, but opportunity zones also allow the rich to invest in real estate and defer or not pay capital gains tax as well which is a double win for them.

Inflation: The Hidden Tax

More money in circulation leads to inflation of assets as more money is chasing too few goods. This type of system causes a lucky few to be enriched, but inflation for the rest of the people. Yes, great for the lucky few as they now have a vast treasure to buy whatever their heart desires, but not so great for the rest of society. The common person needs to work harder and longer hours, just to make enough of a wage to buy something that used to cost much less but now costs much more due to inflation that benefits the select few. The wage or fixed income does not go as far, as the basic needs are much too inflated. Instead of one job that covered the cost of everything a person needed, people need to work multiple gig jobs just to stay afloat. People must work too hard just to survive and start to become tired. So, if you find that you are not getting ahead, sometimes it is not your fault as there are forces like these that work against the common person which is not fair or just.

How To Make America More Affordable Again

The rich hire intelligent tax accountants and lawyers that help them get away with schemes and fraud, all to the detriment of the larger society. There are additional methods the rich use to avoid taxes, but this blog post gives some of the examples of how some millionaires and billionaires avoid paying federal income, capital gains, and interest taxes. While some high-net-worth individuals avoid paying federal income taxes, the rest of us who earn a reportable wage or income are taxed through the IRS. A tax system such as this is not fair or just. The global economy has not always been kind to wage earners and people of fixed income in America. In order for people to feel a global economy is good for them, our leaders need to fix the problems within the global economy that have been unfair and unjust. We hear some politicians that discuss how wealth is concentrated at the top and that something needs to change. Some talk about taxing capital gains and carried interest loopholes over recent years, yet many are not able to fulfil their campaign promises. It seems getting Congress to agree is a difficult task. I think our government along with countries worldwide need to find ways to tax assets owned by the rich people that do not report a taxable income, as assets or loans taken against assets become some of the high-net-worth earners income.

The IRS and Department of Justice who monitor financial corruption have been downsized, and it is extremely hard to track tax avoidance and/or evasion. The tax avoidance scheme is constantly moving between players and countries quickly, and the tax avoiders are particularly good at hiding their assets. With less people working in the departments that monitor these transactions, financial corruption is more likely to happen. We are experiencing record levels of inflation in America. America is the beacon of hope for people because we have freedom of speech to speak up against injustice. Over recent years, I have seen people in powerful positions stifling free speech, which is the first step in no longer having a democracy. There have been violations of human rights and freedom of expression. I believe that our fundamental freedoms, such as the inherent rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, which stem from the principle of equal creation, are at risk. Over recent years, I have come to see the country differently than I used to. I hope our elected leaders work towards making the country a better place to live and more affordable again. I feel the country has been going in the wrong direction for a while now. I hope it gets better, and that people can achieve the American Dream once again. I wrote related posts titled The Real Life American Monopoly Game, Housing Cannot Be Both a Profitable Asset and a Human Right, Home Prices Are Inflating Faster Than Incomes in America and Making America Affordable Again: Living in Two Parallel Realities in which I would encourage you to read, and a Resource page to help people in need.

Written by: Nicole Harris-Armstrong

Last updated: March 7, 2025

“This post may contain affiliate links. Meaning, I get a commission if you purchase through my links, at no cost to you. Read the full disclosure here. “

Getting through tough times of unemployment is hard. The unemployment rates in America are rising, which is alarming. The Department of Labor reported on December 7, 2024, that 242,000 American’s are unemployed. California has the highest initial claims, followed by New York, Texas, Pennsylvania, and Illinois. The numbers are growing as the government is threatening to lay off workers, and corporations are reducing their workforce as well. According to our representatives and media, everything is coming up roses as the economy is healthy, there are plenty of jobs and little unemployment. If that is the case, then why are so many people being unemployed long term? What is the solution for these people in limbo? Who is advocating for these people? According to the US Bureau of Labor statistics, the civil unemployment rate is 4.0%, so there are people that are unemployed in America that are not able to find meaningful employment. These are some of the issues plus more that will be discussed in this blog post regarding getting through tough times of unemployment.

What Is Money, How Is Money Earned, and What Is Money Used For

What is money? A medium of exchange of goods in an economy that comes in various forms and holds a system of value. How do we earn money? By most standards, people work for money in some form that earns a wage or income. Money is an honor system in which the majority of people feel that their work that they put in will earn enough money that will allow them to trade it for something else they find holds value. We have all heard the statement money is the root of all evil. Some people are consumed by money as they never have enough of it, even if they already have too much of it. In my opinion, we would probably have a more socially responsible economic system if we didn’t have the greed of some that want to live like lords of the land, as there would be enough money amongst the people for everyone to be able to live a financially healthy lifestyle. We can argue the evils of money; however, it is sensible to realize that at the end of the day we all need enough money to survive. We need money to pay for basic necessities, wants, savings, and investments. Money is earned to pay for basic needs to survive in which we find of value such water, food, shelter (house, mortgage or rent), energy (oil or electricity), communication (internet or phone), a car (transportation), healthcare (preventative and sick), protection of assets (insurance), and higher education (trade school, college, or university). If we have an overabundance of money after paying for basic needs for ourselves or for our children, we choose to spend money on various items in which we deem of value. Some people will save money, invest it, or buy a want with it. We often hear of the term live within your means, in which you earn a certain amount of money per day, week or month to pay for your wants and needs. If you spend less than you earn, then you will have created a surplus of extra money to put into basic needs, wants, savings, or investments. If you spend more than you earn, you have created a debt and do not have money to put into basic needs, wants, savings, or investments.

Obviously with being unemployed, you are earning little to no income which makes getting through tough times of unemployment difficult. Large corporations are laying off workers, downsizing to create more profits for shareholders, and are supposedly making the job market leaner. The government is also laying off workers which could lead to further corruption if there are not people monitoring what is going on. Both of their actions cause a greater loss for the entire society. I have heard some people say that unemployment is due to the increase in wages that employers cannot afford. With statements like that, people are not thinking about Americans that need a higher wage due to inflated assets such as housing. Inflated housing is the root cause for American’s need to earn higher wages. If houses were not inflated, Americans could get away with earning a lower wage and still afford to have a good life like the old days. I have learned that some people do not have an empathetic heart. With unemployment, the economy is at risk of greater loss, as if people do not have money to spend and try not to go into debt by using credit, then more jobs will be lost. Job losses cause low consumer demand, and low sales. This spirals into even more unemployment as consumer demand falls even further, which results in large-scale unemployment.

Deindustrializing America

Getting through tough times of unemployment is hard, as many people within our country have experienced repeatedly throughout history. Decades ago, our country and world decided it would be best to have a global economy. China reduced their agricultural land to become an industrial powerhouse, in which many people’s human rights were violated because their people went hungry at the time. At the same time, America decided to deindustrialize by sending American blue-collar jobs overseas for products to be manufactured at a cheaper cost which made us a great importer rather than a great exporter. Manufacturing jobs as well as call centers moved to other countries, as labor costs are cheaper in other countries along with the cost of living. American’s have been told time and time again that this is good for us, as we will import less expensive products. American’s have been dealing with inflated food and products for years now since the pandemic started. Tariff’s may make imports more expensive as businesses will offset their increased costs to American consumers, so not only do American’s need to pay for inflated assets like housing but also need to pay higher costs for goods as well. Wasn’t deindustrializing our nation supposed to make the cost of goods less expensive rather than more expensive to import? Housing has also become unaffordable, so many Americans cannot even afford to live in the country they are born in. Possibly some of the trade agreements with other countries could be renegotiated to achieve a better outcome for America. Along with China, America also violated people’s human rights because they did not tell the blue-collar workers they were deindustrializing the nation and left it to the American middle class to figure out on their own through job losses. There are ways to do things and ways not to do things, and I feel our country chose the wrong way.

I feel our country could have done a better job in recognizing the gap in education regarding the blue-collar workforce. On top of that, I feel that blue-collar workers children that were being educated in K-12 schools at the time should have been educated better by explaining that the blue-collar job your dad currently has will eventually go away from this country and may not come back for decades, if ever. At the time I went to grade school, there were minimal computers. We did all our schoolwork on paper, and I was given one computer programming lesson throughout the entire time I was in grade school. When our country globalized and technology was going to be the way to greater financial freedom, I think the higher up leaders should have recognized that and trained us better than they did. To me, they lacked foresight of how things would turn out, and to this day many people that grew up in middle-class families are suffering. Either they are in denial of what they did, or they just do not really want to address the failure on their part. Looking back, my training in K-12 grade school would have been much more complete if we were taught about technology, along with the economy. From what I have witnessed over the last several years, there is a gap in understanding by our leaders that not only were low-income people done wrong in America, so were many people in the middle class as well. To be more socially responsible, this fact must be understood as I do not like how the middle-class people have been treated in our country in recent years. It is not fair, and it is wrong. It is not right to just say that some of the American workforce is not trained to do jobs here. If there are gaps in training amongst the American workforce, then shouldn’t the gaps be filled in through on-the-job training, or some other workforce training that is inexpensive so that all people can thrive in this country? Getting through tough times of unemployment is unfair and difficult, and I feel our country could do much better for our people.

The Old Days Before Bots

Computers are supposed to make the world a better place, but sometimes they do not. In the old days, people could walk into the Human Resource Department, meet a human being face to face, and create a warm connection. The interaction was humane. Now Human Resource Departments are being replaced by bots for corporations to save money. As a result, Human Resource Departments are no longer human or humane. Some people have difficulty in receiving even one interview after applying for 100+ jobs. The bots have been programmed in reject mode rather than accept mode. Resumes now need to have preferred key words in hopes that when the bot scans your resume it progresses to the next level hiring manager. Also due to technology, more people can apply for the same job. In the old days with physical Human Resource Departments, you may have 10 qualified applicants apply for the same job that lived locally. Now there are hundreds of applicants applying for the same job through technology who may or may not be qualified. As a result, qualified applicant resumes get stacked in piles with hundreds of other applicants resumes that never even make it to the hiring manager.

After working for a corporation, I have learned that sometimes corporations can turn people into monotone robots. Once that demotion occurs, the job actually does get replaced by a bot which is demoralizing. In order to maintain humanity once the job is replaced by a bot and to prevent demoralization of human beings in this way, corporations could train the workforce in different positions within the organization to keep the employee gainfully employed. Many times this does not happen, and people are treated inhumanely. All of these acts make the American work force less secure rather than more secure, with worker’s rights trampled on. How are these acts making America better and how are we different than other countries if this is what we are doing to our own work force? There comes a point that we need to ask ourselves, is progress worth human suffering and the atrocities against human rights? Some positions are being cyclically eliminated altogether due to technology, but isn’t this technology supposed to have limits such as if it interferes with human rights it is stopped? I do not really see that happening, so if it is not happening now how is it supposed to happen when corporations grow even bigger and more powerful than they already are? Throughout history there has been this type of suffering, but isn’t technology supposed to alleviate suffering and make our world a better place to live rather than worse? At least that is what we are told. There are many questions I have along with many other people that may or may not be answered. We do not have all these answers, as technology is going to continue to be built to keep up with other countries as our leaders take the wait and see what happens approach which is concerning. Once again, computers can be good for people, but they can also be unbelievably bad for people as well. There is a gap in social understanding between those that have, and those that have not which is why I decided to write this blog post getting through the tough times of unemployment.

Actions to Take: How to Get Through Tough Times of Unemployment

How do you begin getting through this tough time of unemployment if you are given the boot? First off, file for unemployment benefits right away. To receive unemployment benefits, you must qualify by being out of work due to no fault of their own. You can search online for “unemployment benefits.” From there you will need to file for the benefits, and it may take weeks to find out if you qualify for them, which is why it is important to file for them right away. If you qualify, you will be at a very much reduced income level than you previously were. It is still a hardship to be unemployed, but at least you have some money coming in to help you. After you qualify for unemployment, you will need to request payment through unemployment benefits every 2 weeks on the day that they set for you to request for the benefit while you are unemployed. You can also contact your local Health and Human Services to find more information on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Transportation Assistance, Housing, Medical, Child Care Assistance etc. You can also think of other ways you might be able to save money on things you need to pay for monthly to decrease your monthly expenditure. Only buy what you need to survive. Anything else you want can wait until you have a job again, or at least that is how I thought when it happened to me. You can search for jobs on job boards, apply for jobs weekly, and go to job fairs in your area. Many people that have never been unemployed do not understand the hardship of it. COBRA is very expensive as it is over $800 month, and so is healthcare.gov in which the least expensive plan is over $340 month with high deductibles and out of pocket maximums. If you have a greatly reduced income coming in from unemployment and have high costs of living to pay for, your life becomes very hard. Some leaders believe you should live a hard knocks life to learn life lessons, but I really do not agree with them. There are better and more humane ways to learn things rather than have your human rights violated, and our country could do better for its people. If you think you were wrongfully terminated due to a civil rights violation such as race, religion, national origin, age, disability, or genetic information you can contact the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) to file a case. If you suffered an unsafe work environment or are a whistleblower, you can contact the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to file a case. You can also hire an unemployment lawyer to see if you can find legal representation to help you.

Emotionally: How To Get Through Tough Times of Unemployment

Emotionally losing a job is exceedingly difficult, so getting through this tough time of unemployment can be challenging spiritually and mentally. Oftentimes we invest our time and our talents to help others, but investing in yourself is also important. You are yourselves most valuable asset, and you have worth no matter what anyone else says about you. Find ways to train and develop new skills to make yourself as marketable as you can be. Education and skills are things that can never be taken away from you once you attain them. Books are a wonderful way to help you emotionally get through this challenging time of unemployment. Some books I read that helped me were written by authors whom I very much respect are 7 Habits of Highly Effective People and How to Win Friends and Influence People in which you can purchase through these links to help a girl out. Take the time to remember your hobbies that you always loved to do as a child but have forgotten about. Maybe it is dancing, writing, drawing, painting, or playing an instrument. Think of this time as the time to do all the things you wish you could if you only had time to do them. In essence your life is more enriched because you are living for you. Imagine the possibilities, and this gift of personal time may offer insight to help you fulfil your passions and dreams.

By sharing some of the things that happened to me, I hope it will help you get through some of the things you are going through. My hope in writing this blog is to make America a better place to live, and more affordable again. I wrote related posts titled Healthcare Has Become One of The Greatest Tragedies of Our Time, Get Through Great Loss and Worry, People in America Are Faced with Limited Opportunities, Housing Cannot Be Both A Profitable Asset and a Human Right, and Home Prices Are Inflating Faster Than Incomes In America in which I would encourage you to read, a Resource page to help people in need, as well as a Basic Bills Tracker and Budget Planner in which you can find directly on my blog Shop page and on Etsy.

Written by: Nicole Harris-Armstrong

Last updated: February 27, 2025

Let the healthcare games begin! At least that is how I felt in my dealings with the largest hospital chain in America. In America, healthcare has become one of the greatest tragedies of our time. In modern healthcare, business models treat healthcare more like a sport they are trying to win, rather than holding high ethical standards of genuinely caring about other people. I have researched why healthcare has changed so much over the years, and it basically comes down to money. Healthcare has become a business that makes a lot of money. The healthcare financial systems are dysfunctional, and that dysfunction trickles down to all parts of healthcare. There is a fine line between healthcare being good by holding high ethical standards in putting people first, and bad by holding low ethical standards in putting money first. When money is put first over people, healthcare becomes sick rather than healthy. As healthcare focuses on being the biggest moneymaker for their stakeholders, healthcare costs become unaffordable for many people, and those costs are not transparent for people that must pay for them. Healthcare has become very unsafe for patients, and also for healthcare workers. There are firsthand experiences I have had within healthcare over the last several years, which helped me determine that healthcare has become one of the greatest tragedies of our time.

A Family Experience Where Healthcare Has Become One of the Greatest Tragedies of Our Time

One of the greatest firsthand experiences where healthcare has become one of the greatest tragedies of our time was with my dad. My dad was particularly good about staying on top of his health conditions, was generally in good health, never had any major surgeries, and would get his physical done with his primary care doctor. His primary care doctor ordered him to have a CT of his brain due to loss of memory, and an ultrasound of his abdomen. My dad’s CT of the brain showed atrophy, and his ultrasound incidentally found an abdominal aortic aneurism. Rather than being encouraged by his doctor to see a specialist to evaluate his brain in which he was experiencing symptoms, he was encouraged to see a cardiologist for the incidental abdominal aortic aneurism finding in which he had no symptoms. He went to the cardiologist, and after meeting the surgeon for the first time, he determined right away that my dad was at risk for an abdominal aortic aneurism rupture and needed to have an abdominal aortic aneurism repair. My dad’s blood pressure was under control with medications, did not have any abdominal aortic aneurism symptoms such as a pulsating mass in his abdomen at or above the umbilicus, tenderness, abdominal or lower back pain, or any signs that the aneurism would rupture. Even though my dad did not have any conservative monitoring over time through ultrasounds to determine whether the aneurism was growing in size, the surgeon made my mom and dad feel that the surgery was necessary as my dad would be at risk of a rupture if he didn’t have the elective procedure done. My parents trusted the surgeon’s opinion and decided to move forward with the surgery. The surgeon knew of my father’s changes in mental status, memory loss, and dementia, but no further testing of my dad’s brain was ordered prior to the procedure.

My dad’s surgery was scheduled by the hospital and surgeon on October 9, 2019, at one of the hospitals within the greatest hospital chain in America. A few hours after the procedure, my dad had a sudden mental status change with a decreased level of consciousness which progressed to unresponsiveness. My dad went into a coma within hours of the surgery being done due to a brain hemorrhage with a grim prognosis of a Glasgow coma score of 4. The cardiologist who did the procedure did not call, but the neurologist called both my sister and me. On the call, the neurologist told my sister that the doctor missed the signs when they gave my father heparin. Later to find when we pulled the medical records that the doctor did not monitor my dad’s ACT (Activated Clotting Time) labs frequently during the procedure, and an ACT was not done just prior to giving the second dose of heparin to make sure my dad was not bleeding. After giving the second dose of heparin, my dad’s ACT was high, he went from needing 2 liters of oxygen to needing 10 liters of oxygen. At that time, his respiratory rate went from 8 to 16 as well. He was given Protamine (reverses anticoagulant effect of Heparin) after the second dose of Heparin, but that did not reverse the damage that was done to him by their lack of monitoring him. Why was my dad not monitored properly during his procedure at the hospital and why has healthcare become so unsafe? There could be many reasons why. Maybe the hospital short staffed the unit, as healthcare business models do not staff well when they are trying to save money. Maybe someone called in sick, as healthcare workers are overworked, underpaid, undervalued for what they have to endure, and burn out easily because of high stress and demands due to the nature of the job. Or maybe the business models decided their education departments were no longer valuable, so they did away with them to save money. Whatever the reason why, the doctors and staff were not considerate, and did not carefully monitor my dad during his procedure which was very unsafe. We were told that the hospital could provide comfort care and that my dad was going to die. We asked if there could be more done for him, and the neurologist told us that there was no surgical or medical treatment to resolve the hemorrhage to the left side of his brain that was causing a left to right midline shift, that he was posturing, and if he were to survive he would live in a vegetative state for the rest of his life in a nursing home.

Our entire family was distraught, and were in shock of what had happened in what we thought was a minor procedure. The cardiologist that performed the surgery told my family that it was gods will that my dad was in a coma after the surgery he performed, that he was going to go on vacation, and that he was not going to be around for the rest of the weekend. To me, God’s will is to have a healthcare system that is not just about making money, but a healthcare system that cares about and loves people and embraces the doctors Hippocratic oath of do no harm. The God my family knew which is love, and the God this surgeon knew which is money were two different Gods. Who knew that there could be such a healthcare system that was so cold and heartless? My dad died three days later in the hospital bed while the cardiac surgeon went on his vacation with his family. My dad and my family were not treated with respect, consideration, and dignity. I could not believe this was the healthcare that we were receiving in America, as it felt like we were no longer living in the same country that I once knew.

I guess to the doctor and hospital my dad was a nobody that just carried a number that would pay for vacations, but to us my father was the biggest somebody, as he was the love and light of our lives. There was no better man than my dad. Everyone that knew my father loved him, as he was a good man. He had good intent and was not bad. He was the best man I ever knew who made everyone feel safe and loved around him. He was a good father, husband, and was one of a kind. They really do not make men like him these days. My mom married him when she was 16 years old, was married to him for over 50 years, and loved him dearly. He was the love of her life, she wanted to have many more years with him, but those years were taken away from her. Also, my dad was there to help my mom as they worked as a team throughout their lives, so his death has been a great loss for her. My father was talented, hardworking, loyal, caring, honest, and was the best husband/dad that a family could ever ask for. I miss his smile, good nature, spirit, sense of humor, voice, and love. I wish I could hear his voice and talk to him again, but I can’t. I wish I could eat his yummy bean soup and muffins with him again, but I can’t. I wish he could make me laugh with his sense of humor again, but he can’t. I wish I could bring him back, but I can’t. I wish he never had that surgery that took his life. I wish many things that occurred to our family never happened, but they did. Sadly, we cannot do anything about what happened to him but try to pick up the pieces after the great loss our family suffered. My father’s memory will live on and on in my heart, mind, soul, as he will forever be missed. That is who was taken away from our family, the most selfless and best man we ever knew.

The doctors, hospital, and corporation that took my dad’s life were not caring and compassionate but rather were cruel and malicious. Rather than providing ethical care such as beneficence, nonmaleficence, and justice, they provided unethical care and injustice. My sister wrote to the hospital, health boards, senators, put reviews on social media and on their websites that were taken down. After this, the surgeon wrote an amendment four months after the procedure on to my dad’s medical records on 2/6/2020. In his amendment, he stated that the last eight lines were found confusing within the operative procedure notes that were written four months prior on 10/9/2019. He said in the amendment that the patient’s name dictated does not match dictated/input MRN/encounter. In the amendment, he stated that he monitored my dad’s ACT’s more than the original documentation stated that he or the hospital did. There were discrepancies within the amendment regarding the ACT, as it did not align with the original documentation four months prior. There were so many red flags, and we tried to find a lawyer to help us. The lawyers we contacted told us that it would take too much work and would be too hard for them to prove my dad’s case in court. I have found that many lawyers look to get ahead in their own careers and oftentimes will not stand up for people that they don’t think will help them get ahead in their careers. Standing up for what is right is hard and there are few that will do it unless they feel there is a monetary reward for their efforts. Therefore, injustice continues to happen because they are afraid to stand up to the big bully and giant corporation. In the end, our justice system did not hold the hospital or doctor accountable for what they did. Human rights continue to be violated, and dignity is not preserved in this nation. In this example, healthcare has become one of the greatest tragedies of our time.

A Work Experience Where Healthcare Has Become One of the Greatest Tragedies of Our Time

In another example of how healthcare has become one of the greatest tragedies of our time was my employment within healthcare. The pandemic was declared by our government in March 2020. I was going through a divorce and was told by our public schools that all learning would be online. My kids were young, so if they weren’t going to elementary school while I needed to go into the hospital to work, they would need to be in daycare to do online learning. I feel that our government leaders at the time did not think of the impact that the pandemic would have on frontline healthcare workers that still needed to go in to work face to face while they got to do all their work at home sitting in the laps of luxury. At the time of the pandemic, people that worked at home came off as privileged, as workers like me that physically needed to go into work during the pandemic had to grit and bear the misgivings of what the pandemic brought to healthcare workers. At the time, I knew that my family and I were exposed to COVID 19 because my kids needed to go to daycare rather than elementary school due to elementary school’s being closed at the time, and I needed to physically go into the hospital. We did not have the privilege of staying at home during the pandemic like many other people had, and there was not much I could do about it due to the situation I was in. There were not enough masks provided to healthcare workers, and we needed to reuse them. If you were to tell me that healthcare would become that unsanitary and unsafe 25 years ago, I would never have believed you. The standards went down big time, and mostly due to business models within healthcare, and our leadership being unprepared financially as well as practically. So many people died during the pandemic, especially the elderly in nursing homes which was incredibly sad. I felt that they could have done better and could have been more prepared.

After the pandemic I was fortunate (or so I thought at the time), to move into a different position within the largest healthcare chain in America. I was told by the corporate division that my first day working for them would begin on October 9, 2022. Ironically (or not ironically as they play a lot of games with people), it was the same date the surgery was scheduled for my dad 3 years prior, but I did not put two and two together until the last few months. At the time, I was so happy to move into a new position due to everything I had been through during the pandemic and thought that it would be good for me. Little did I know that they had different plans for me, as they did not want me to be successful within their organization. Rather than recognizing the good I did, they decided to offer me more tragedy and hardship by placing me in unsafe working conditions. They chose to play dirty tricks and games, rather than choosing to do the right thing to make healthcare better. They do not honor safety acts, bill of rights, or show respect to those that care and work so hard. They are not caring and compassionate, even though verbally they say they are. Actions speak louder than phony words. There are some owners of healthcare corporations that financially benefit from the healthcare dysfunction, and it is sad. I can see who they are, and when you know better you do better. People that are bullied should not stay silent and should speak up against the big bullies in the room. At least that is what we are taught by our teachers as early as preschool, right? To be brave, courageous, and stand up to the giant bully. Sometimes I wonder if that is even true in America anymore, as those that speak up are punished, while those that stay silent are rewarded. I guess that is the way of the world sadly, so nothing improves or gets better as those that advance are “yes” people. And that is how we got here, where healthcare has become one of the greatest tragedies of our time. Hey I get it, we need jobs because we need to make money to survive unless we are born rich, so we have to find a way to work within all of the dysfunction, stay silent even though we see evildoings, or speak up and get fired. Those are our choices, as we live in right-to-work states, and have a justice system that doesn’t work. We can get fired for any reason the corporation chooses, especially if we see who they are and speak up against gas lighters.

Man created money and man created games so he can make more money from those games. The casino who understands the game the most as it has played it the most generally wins games, and man rarely does. But good luck in trying I guess, right? Those with money create games and challenges for us to overcome, in which they take great pleasure in watching. It must be nice for them to be sitting on pedestals looking down on those they deem not as great as them. Even though money can be the root of all evil, it is a necessary evil to survive in the world that we live in. Which brings us to winning trophies. Some of us have ambivalent feelings about trophy’s, including me. We may feel like we have won internally, and don’t need external validation from others to say we have won. I have realized over time that the trophy is meaningful as it is validation from others that you have value and worth, even though in your heart you already know you have value and worth. In your heart the trophy is won, but without the trophy many people can be unkind and cruel to you as they do not see your true value and worth unless you are holding something shiny and bright. This is the way of the world, I guess. I do know though that some games are not meant to be won. There are some problems that cannot be fixed and can only be managed as they are unfixable. Therefore, in those instances no one wins. The things that can be taken away from life experiences are lessons. Lessons to speak up against those that have done harm to you, forgive them as forgiving them lets you move on from them, and to overcome impossible obstacles that were placed on your path towards your greater mission of victory.

My hope is by sharing some of the things that happened to me and my entire family regarding how healthcare has become one of the greatest tragedies of our time, I will help you get through some of the things you are going through. I hope our society will become fairer and more just, but I have realized for hope to become a reality I must speak up and not stay silent. I have realized that even though it is hard, the bully will continue to bully me and my family unless I speak up. So this is me, using my voice in this great nation and speaking up. My hope in writing this blog is to make America a better place to live, and more affordable again. I wrote related posts a few weeks ago titled The Opioid Epidemic: Shed Some Light in the Darkness of Despair and Get Through Great Loss and Worry in which I would encourage you to read, a Resource page to help people in need, as well as a Basic Bills Tracker and Budget Planner in which you can find directly on my blog Shop page and on Etsy.

There is a poem I wrote for my dad after his death in which I will keep dear to my heart. It is super long and probably would not fit on the paper provided online. However, I did write two more poems, one regarding A Nurses Heart, and the other Trampled Worker’s Rights in which I will include within the blog post.

Written by: Nicole Harris-Armstrong

Last updated: February 17, 2025

During times of great loss there is a storm of darkness as the sky you see turns shadows of gray, is gloomy as thunder and lightning shake it. It can be frightening as you wonder when the storm will end, and how you will get through great loss and worry. This is what I have felt when my whole life was turned around by great loss and sorrow. I have had my fair share of great emotional pain between the unexpected death of my dad, sister, uncle, job, a failed marriage, a single family home due to inflation, along with many other losses over a several year time period. As I was feeling loss and grief, my family was too as they also suffered the same losses plus their own as well. I felt that life was throwing rock after rock after rock at us, and justice for all that had happened was not coming our way. As I reflect upon all that my family and I have suffered, I want to share with you how I was able to get through great loss and worry.

I have realized when you suffer from great loss, other people around you don’t always know of the great loss that you have experienced. Sometimes it is hard to express the great loss you have experienced as it takes time to process what has happened. I remember trying to move on with life right away after a great loss, trying to get through the day when tears would well up unexpectedly in my eyes when something reminded me of a loss I had experienced personally in my life. During those times, I felt alone as I experienced people were not there for me, as they did not understand what I was going through. I have learned that when I feel sad, it is important to allow myself to take the time to feel the pain. It is normal and part of the healing process to accept what is, be with it, sit with it, examine it, learn from it, understand it so you can eventually forgive it and move on from it.

There are several ways I helped myself get through great loss and worry. It is important to take time for self-care and to remember to go easy on yourself. Be kind and gentle to you and remember that your soul needs to be nourished. Some things that have helped me are making a list of things that would nurture my soul. I would say positive affirming words to myself, especially if other people said and did unloving or unkind acts towards me. I would take time to read the bible, journal, write poems, read, and draw. I would go out to eat at a restaurant with family, travel with family, have fun taking a dance class with friends, or sing in private spaces. I would do nice things for myself like play soothing music to rock myself to sleep, take a mid-afternoon nap, take a bubble bath, get a healing massage, a therapeutic facial, or a soothing pedicure. I would take relaxing yoga classes or nature walks in complete silence to listen to all the nature around me such as the birds chirping and feel the sun warm my skin. I would take deep breaths in and out, in and out while remembering it was important to breathe. Sometimes when we are experiencing great loss we forget to breathe or breathe shallow rather than breathe deeply. So, I would remind myself not to forget to breathe deeply. Time does eventually heal wounds, even though they are still there they are not as intense as they once were. I reminded myself that I will get through this, and I will be okay. If you are reading this and feel similar feelings, you will also get through this, and it will be okay.

How can we let go of thoughts that continue to circle in our minds that lead us to an endless spiral to the deepest depths of nowhere? Trying not to worry is easier said than done, but we all know that worry will not do us any good. Some ways to get through great loss and worry is to identify the problem which is the first step in trying to fix any problem. If a problem is fixable, then worry will naturally go away. If the problem is not fixable, then you need to determine whether you want to keep learning about it to try to find ways to make it better, or if the problem is beyond your scope. Living in this country, especially over the last several years, things just naturally happened to me and my family that were beyond my control. If I were to express everything that happened to us, you probably would not believe it. Through the course of my life, life lessons have been identified that I have learned from and am still learning from.

I started to write this blog because I care about people, empathize as I put myself in other people’s shoes, and have compassion towards other people. I feel there are so many people that are unaware of what people experience on the other side of the parallel reality, but through the course of my life I know what it is like. I have learned through my own life experiences or have learned through reading about other people’s life experiences. Through failure we learn to succeed. Victory is sweet once we know great loss, and I have had my fair share of great losses. I hope in the end, we the people win. I have realized that people including myself will not win if we don’t even know what we are fighting for. What I have realized through life lessons that have happened to me is that America’s foundation of life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness, freedom, and basic human rights are at risk due to an unfair economy. You can never have victory until you know your purpose. Once you know your purpose, that purpose needs to be supported by others. Some of the rich and powerful people do not want the people to have victory because that would mean they would lose. Some things are within our power to change, and some things aren’t. I hope things get better, but that is not up to me to decide. There are rich and powerful people that have been doing this far longer than me and are even able to fairly predict if this variable were to happen or that variable, then this will happen in the future. One thing I do know though is that there are many parts to a whole, and our country can get better if we are able to have our basic freedoms that are within the foundation of our country that some in power have tried to take away. For now, I will say the serenity prayer as other people are in power not me, and there is much that is beyond my control. Worry will not change existing circumstance. We cannot go into the past and change things that have already been done. It is what it is, so there are times we need to decide for ourselves to let it go for our own wellbeing and happiness. There is a serenity prayer written by Dr. Reinhold Niebuhr that I remind myself of when snow flutters throughout the winter sky and falls to the ground with gravity, and I am festering over things that are beyond my control.

God, grant me the serenity

to accept the things I cannot change.

The courage to change the things I can,

and the wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time,

Enjoying one moment at a time

Accepting hardship as the pathway to peace,

Taking, as He did,

This sinful world as it is,

Not as I would have it,

Trusting that He will make all things right,

If I surrender to His will,

That I may be reasonably happy in this life,

And supremely happy with Him forever in the next.

I hope by sharing some of the things that happened to me and my entire family, I will help you get through some of the things you are going through. I hope our society will become fairer and more just to those who do not come from a lot of means, and who were not taught about our economy. My hope in writing this blog is to make America a better place to live, and more affordable again. I wrote a related post several weeks ago titled Making America Affordable Again: Living in Two Parallel Realities in which I would encourage you to read, a Resource page to help people in need, as well as a Basic Bills Tracker and Budget Planner in which you can find directly on my blog Shop page and on Etsy.

Written by: Nicole Harris-Armstrong

Last updated: February 14, 2025

People in America are faced with limited opportunities based on the socioeconomic class they are born into. Growing up in America, we have heard that you can be whatever you dream of being. I am not sure if that is always the case for many people that live in this country. Many individuals face financial limitations due to their parents’ economic situation, which impacts their opportunities in this country. A middle-class family may make too much to qualify for financial assistance, even if the parents work multiple jobs, overtime, and weekends just to achieve that middle class income. When a student does not qualify for financial aid, grants, scholarships, loans, or discounts due to the amount of money their parents make, they are limited in the school choices to remain financially responsible. This may also impact that students career choice as well, as some professions require students to go to college for a long time, which will put students into a lot of debt with student loans if they choose certain careers. Per the Education Data Initiative, the average annual tuition at a university is $35, 248, which is out of reach for many middle-class income people that are trying to survive with the high costs of living. University enrollment has declined for middle class income families due to financial constraints. Middle class families make too much to qualify for college financial assistance but make too little to afford the inflated costs of college. For these reasons and more, people in America are faced with limited opportunities based on the socioeconomic class they are born into.

Working Class Concerns Regarding K-12 Education

Besides college, working class families are also concerned regarding their children’s K-12 education. Many years ago, parents in America did not worry as much about the quality of their child’s K-12 education as I see parents worry today. Even with the No Child Left Behind Law, or Every Child Succeeds Act, parents are still concerned about their children’s ability to thrive educationally in America. In 2002, the No Child Left Behind Law was enacted, which is a federal law that sets ambitious standards to hold schools accountable for student outcomes and promote student achievement through proficiency standardized tests. In 2015, Every Child Succeeds Act moved the accountability from federal to states which hold the schools accountable for achievement in Math and Reading assessments, high school graduation rates, and English-language proficiency. Every Child Succeeds Act removed the feature that teachers must be highly qualified in the subject that they are teaching. Due to that portion being removed from the act, there have been concerns such as inconsistencies in quality education and teachers that need to instruct subjects outside of their specialization. These things can play a role in poor academic achievement, along with high teacher turnover rates.

Gaps in K-12 Education

In the modern-day society we live in, there is fragmentation rather than wholeness in education. Parents see gaps in the K-12 education that their children are receiving and try to figure out how to help their child. We now live in a society where both parents must work just to survive in America due to high costs of living. Due to inflated costs of living, parents need to work full time jobs and sometimes have second jobs. With limited resources after working all day, parents are coming home with additional pressure in figuring out how they can help their child succeed academically at school. These days, parents need to do their own research on websites, plus other modalities to help their child learn basic things that were just given to American children freely through our school system years ago. Education that was once freely given is held back for some to have an advantage over others which is not fair to the children or parents that need to send their kids to public schools. I have noticed that we now have a society that tries to find any way possible to profit from the gaps in education that they know are present in our education system. I have seen more parents resort to learning outside of school such as tutoring that was not needed in years past. Tutoring costs money, and if parents do not have money left over from the inflated costs of living, their children are left behind due to the current gaps in education. In these respects, people in America are faced with limited opportunities based on the socioeconomic class they are born into.

Outside Forces that Want to Profit from K-12 Education

Compared to decades ago, there is more burden on the public education system because there are outside forces such as public charter schools and public home schools that want to profit and capitalize from K-12 public education. There are disadvantages to public school alternatives as they work on a lottery system, they play by different rules with a chance of corruption, they have fewer extracurricular options and are not as stable as traditional public schools. Some also are selective in the types of students they accept, as they do not accept all students. Some tout this as “school choice,” and that families should have the option to send their child where they want to. That is fine, but what I have noticed is that state governments have been taking massive quantities of school funds that are supposed to be going to the traditional public schools, and now those schools are no longer achieving as well as they once did. Traditional public schools that were once thriving need to give up important programs and make a lot of changes because they are now being bankrupted by the state. When I was younger, parents and students did not have this type of attack from people that wanted to profit from public K-12 education.

Inconsistencies in K-12 Learning

Even with laws established to try to improve the public education system, there are inconsistencies in learning material provided to the children. There are district wide decisions that encourage teachers to no longer teach students certain curriculum in which many teachers are following. The school provides workbooks to the children, yet the kids are not required to complete the workbooks, so the education is not consistent. Children used to be sent home with weekly spelling words in which they would be evaluated on, but now are no longer given spelling words to study. As a result, children are not learning how to spell which makes them more dependent on the computer to correct spelling and grammar mistakes. When children get low grades, they are not offered homework to do at home to improve their grades. There are also teachers that are teaching subjects outside of their specialization. For example, an Algebra teacher is teaching Geometry, and self admits that they are not as strong in Geometry as they are in Algebra. When a teacher is not specialized in the subject they are teaching, it trickles down to the children in having success in that subject. The pandemic also added additional stress on the schools as well as the teachers. The teachers that were used to providing face-to-face instruction needed to do all learning on the computer. Some children may require a different type of learning platform, but no matter what type of learner they are they must do everything on a computer which may affect their ability to succeed. On top of that, there is no way to measure if the material provided on a computer is comprehensive, consistent, or of high quality.

The state requires the children to do achievement tests throughout the year, but there is no action from the school regarding the results of the tests. The achievement tests could be a way to help the school tailor curriculum to each individual child. For example, if a child scores low on a particular area on an achievement test, the teacher could provide material to help improve that gap in learning for that child. On top of these things, parents need to advocate just for their child to receive basic services, as the traditional public schools do not have the funding that they once had. These are just a few examples, but there are so many more that put stress and burdens on parents today. As a result, people in America are faced with limited opportunities based on the socioeconomic class they are born into.

With all of this said, it is important to let teachers know that we genuinely care about them. Teachers work so hard, and our country is running into a shortage of teachers. Teachers’ jobs are not easy, many are leaving the field because they have a lot of pressure from outside forces, and they are not paid enough. Sadly, many of these problems are not of the teachers doing but are related to business model problems and politics that trickle down to the teachers, which makes their jobs even more difficult. In some countries, teachers are appreciated, valued and paid more than the teachers are in America. On top of that, some other countries are outperforming America in K-12 education because education is valued, so we as a country could be doing better for the people that live here.

Private K-12 Schools are Expensive

When parents know that there are these outside forces that want to profit from public K-12 education, there are thoughts to move to a private school that does not have the same outside forces. Private schools oftentimes have smaller class sizes, enhanced academic learning, and increased educational resources. There is also evidence that private schools perform better on college admission tests. The problem is the cost of private school is out of reach for many middle-class Americans. Private schools cost a lot of money, and if parents are already struggling to pay for necessities, they have no other choice but to go to a traditional public school, charter school, or home school. According to the Education Data Initiative, in 2021 the average annual tuition for private elementary and middle school is $12,790 and private high school costs $15,344. Some schools offer financial aid, grants, scholarships, loans, or discounts but some people do not qualify and even so it still might not be enough for some families to afford. Tuitions and inflation are rising, and middle-class family’s incomes are not growing which are factors that contribute to America’s growing wealth divide. At the end of the day, people in America are faced with limited opportunities based on the socioeconomic class they are born into.

Due to many factors, the middle class is dwindling in our country. The middle class needs to pay a high percentage of taxes relation to their income, must deal with inflated assets such as housing, excessive costs in healthcare, food, cars, and day-to-day living. Something needs to give, as this is not working for many people that live in this country. My hope in writing this blog is to make America a better place to live, and more affordable again. I wrote a related post a few weeks ago titled Home Prices are Inflating Faster than Incomes in America and Housing Cannot Be Both a Profitable Asset and a Human Right in which I would encourage you to read, a Resource page to help people in need, as well as a Basic Bills Tracker and Budget Planner in which you can find directly on my blog Shop page and on Etsy.

I wrote a poem in honor of our teachers…

Written by: Nicole Harris-Armstrong

Last updated: February 7, 2025

Housing cannot be both a profitable asset and a human right. Homelessness is growing yearly in America and has hit a record high in 2024. Homelessness has seen a third increase in two years, and I have witnessed homelessness increasing in the community that I live in. Americans who are homeless are human beings but oftentimes are not seen as they have become the invisible class. There is a famous beautiful poem written by Emma Lazarus that is located at the base of the Statue of Liberty. The poem resonated with me in writing this blog post. She wrote: 

“Give me your tired, your poor,

Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,

The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.

Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,

I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”

This is the America that I remember our country to be, but in the turn of the century it seems that these words have been lost and forgotten.

Situation:  Housing Cannot Be Both a Profitable Asset and a Human Right

Per huduser.gov 2024 Annual Homelessness Assessment Report to Congress, in a single night in January 2024 over 770,000 people were experiencing homelessness, or a lack of adequate nighttime residence. This is an 18% increase of people experiencing homelessness since 2023. In this report, homelessness was defined as people living in emergency shelter, transitional housing programs, safe havens, or in unsheltered locations in America. On top of these locations, homeless people that are unaccounted for can also be found in locations not meant for habitation such as sleeping under bridges, cars, bus or train stations, airports, camping grounds, sidewalks, or abandoned buildings. Also not included in these statistics are people that live with their parents, friends, or relatives. These people are fortunate to have the support of people willing to shelter them, but are technically considered homeless, as they cannot afford to buy a house on their own.

Some homeless people are living in high density living situations, as they need to double up to live in a motel, tiny corporate communal apartments, or with family members. Oftentimes, the homeless need to live in dangerous and unsanitary living conditions, and there are many barriers for homeless people to have access to health care and social services. Per the CDC, the homeless are at higher risk for infectious and non-infectious diseases. Homeless people are at increased risk for respiratory infections as well as blood borne pathogens. Due to stress, uncertainty, and threats to safety, they are at risk for increased mental illness, such as anxiety, depression, and PTSD.

Statistics:  Housing Cannot Be Both a Profitable Asset and a Human Right

Rising inflation, increase in rents, lack of affordable housing, stagnant wages, loss of jobs, inability to pay rent, loss of benefits, the opioid epidemic, mental health, and natural disasters all contribute to housing instability in America amongst low- and middle-class families. We as a country are experiencing record levels of homelessness amongst families with children, couples, as well as individuals. Per huduser.gov, most individuals experiencing homelessness were between the ages of 25 and 64 (84%). One third of people experiencing homelessness were women, and two thirds were men. Families with children have seen the largest increase (39%) in homelessness between 2023 and 2024. Single income families are also part of this vulnerable population. Women and girls make up 58% of all people in families experiencing homelessness. Nearly 150,000 children are experiencing homelessness in America which is a 33% increase over 2023. In 2024, one out of every four people experiencing homelessness was a child under 18 years or young adult between the ages of 18-24 years. Out of all of the populations experiencing homelessness, children under 18 years saw the largest increase by 32% followed by young adults 25-34 years increased by 24% from 2023-2024. Some veterans that fought for our country are also homeless, but those numbers are improving. One in five people experiencing homelessness are over the age of 55 years old, which points to potential age discrimination amongst hiring employers which goes against civil rights enacted in ADEA of 1967 and well as for benefits OWBPA of 1990. On top of these things, people who have disabilities or a previous conviction have limited employment opportunities to achieve a high-level income, which makes this population more susceptible to homelessness as well.

Workers’ Rights, Earning a Fair Wage, and Housing Inflation

States with the highest rates of homelessness are New York and California. The numbers of homelessness is growing in states that in the past had affordable single family homes to purchase or rent, as well as affordable apartment rentals. Some property management software companies, landlords of apartments, as well as landlords of single family homes have proven through their acts of rapid spikes in rental increases that they do not have the self discipline to keep housing affordable for the people that live in this country. The landlords are trained business owners with the ultimate goal to make money at all costs. Landlords are not elected representatives that are there to protect and serve the people of this country, so some of them do not care if you lose your job, are trying to live off of a single income, or do not have a fair wage to pay for inflated housing conditions they along with others have created. These types of landlords are inhumane, and are not socially responsible to the people that live in this country. Our elected representatives however are elected to represent, serve, and protect all people, including low and middle class people that live in our country, not just wealthy asset rich people.

Housing cannot be both a profitable asset and a human right. People in America are no longer are able to earn a fair income in relation to the high costs of housing. The surprising thing is that some of the recent homeless populations are educated, but their wage does not cover the cost of inflated housing. As it stands, you can hold down a full-time job or even two full-time jobs, and still not be able to afford housing. Even people with six figure incomes are living paycheck to paycheck in certain areas of our nation. Estimates are showing that about a half of all people experiencing homelessness are working.

Growing up in America, I believed in our nation because we were a nation that fought for workers’ rights. I am not really seeing that happen anymore, as workers are not winning but rather losing when their rights get trampled on. Wages should be fair and just, even in economically challenged times. Employers are getting away with exploiting labor and treating employees unfairly, as they know that they can get away with it as the justice system will not stop them. Laws and states shape how the society will treat human beings, and the legal system could be more fair and just. The legal system could do better in promoting policies of freedom to protect the working class, as well as the most vulnerable of our society.

Exploiting inflation enriches the wealthy and has in turn oppressed the less fortunate. America has changed due to these acts, as they have led to societal imbalance, and has not made the nation better. People are afraid rather than secure as the threat of eviction looms with those that struggle to pay for housing. Parents are faced with impossible choices such as deciding which bill they will pay, or how they will put food on the table. They are wondering how they will keep their lights lit, and how they will provide basic necessities. Dignity is not being preserved which can lead to hopelessness and despair. All human beings are somebody in their creator’s eyes, as he loves all of his children. God sees and hears the cries of the oppressed. One bible verse I have been reading is Psalm 127:1-2

Unless the Lord builds a house, the work of the builders is useless. Unless the lord protects a city, guarding it with sentries will do no good. It is useless for you to work so hard from early morning until late at night, anxiously working for food to eat; for God gives rest to his loved ones.

Housing Can Be a Risky Investment

Some people say to move if housing becomes too unaffordable where you live. The problem with this thought process is that some people are not in a position to uproot their entire lives and move. Some people have families or jobs that keep them in a certain location for a certain period of time. Besides the fact, moving does not fix the root cause of the problem, but enables the problem to continue on. Similar to a disease, housing inflation starts small in a limited geographical area, and eventually spreads to states that are deemed as value properties. So not only do the greedy infect the original host with the financial disease of housing inflation, the infection spreads everywhere and affects all people. The housing market is unhealthy, and once the damage is done it is very difficult to undo.

One thing that some people do not realize, housing can be a risky investment. Deregulation and the rise of risky lending caused the Great Recession. The Great Recession proved to our country what a risky investment housing can be. After the Great Recession, rather than accepting the loss in the decision of making a risky investment, some people decided it was better not to accept the loss by renting out their inflated single-family homes instead. Following this line of thought, many other speculators also decided they wanted to rent out single family homes which inflated the entire housing market. On top of these acts, real estate rentals are placed on the stock market for further speculation.  The speculators figure if you can’t afford to buy a home, speculate on the stock market instead. The problem with this line of thought is that people do need shelter and a place to live. Many people do not speculate on the stock market, and do not benefit from inflated housing assets. There are many people that are living paycheck to paycheck, and do not have extra money to invest in the stock market. There are corporations designed to make renting a house appealing to those that are not aware or concerned about the housing crisis. I feel that thought process will change once people see that their own children or future generations cannot afford to buy a house and need to live with them. If the path that we are currently on is allowed to be continued, many people in our nation along with future generations will lose real wealth and the potential for a prosperous future. Monopolies and inflation occurred after the downturns in the economy from Great Recession as well Pandemic, and the working-class people of this country continue to suffer from those who scheme and are corrupt. Personally, I feel that the economy is not set up to be fair and is not socially responsible.  Housing cannot be both a profitable asset and a human right.

Leader Debates on How to Fix the Housing Crisis

Sadly, most debates amongst our leaders fail to recognize this contradiction that housing cannot be both a profitable asset and a human right. In housing, one of the biggest issues is a demand that does not decrease. When there is a downturn, we have an economy that bails out the housing market. That is not the way capitalism is supposed to work, as it leads to speculation and an irrational exuberance. Reducing demand from speculators is the key to this housing crisis. Adding supply helps, but demand from speculators is the root cause of the problem. Something needs to change if we as a nation want to say we are good and loving towards its people. There are other countries that are doing better than America regarding their homeless housing statistics, so there is room for improvement. There has been progress and bipartisanship to solve the housing crisis in this country, but there could be more done. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has a website that helps provide resources to people who are homeless.

The Vision of the Statue of Liberty

When people from all over the world go to see the Statue of Liberty in New York, there is an excitement and a feeling of joy. The reason people feel hopeful around the Statue of Liberty is because it is a national symbol that enlightens the world with ideals of independence, ending all types of servitude and oppression. The Statue of Liberty has a broken shackle chain at her feet which is a representation of freedom from oppression and bondage. The broken chain also represents democracy, the end of slavery, and the union of victory. All throughout world history, freedom was not just freely given, and people have needed to fight for their independence. American heroes who fought for liberty, justice and freedom would talk about America being a place of hope in achieving the American Dream; a place where all people have value and worth because human beings are created by God; and a foundation where people have basic human rights with ideals of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. The America I remember growing up is an America that strives to do better for its people. I hope the leaders of our nation also remember who our nation once strived to be.

I hope you will be able to see that something needs to give as this is an unsustainable path and is not working for many people that live in this country. My hope in writing this blog is to make America a better place to live, and more affordable again. I have written related posts the last few weeks that titled Home Prices are Inflating Faster than Incomes in America, The Real-Life American Monopoly Game, and The Opioid Epidemic: Shed Some Light in the Darkness of Despair in which I would encourage you to read, a Resource page to help people in need, as well as a Basic Bills Tracker and Budget Planner in which you can find directly on my blog Shop page and on Etsy.

Written by: Nicole Harris-Armstrong

Last updated: January 30, 2025

I am writing this blog post to bring awareness to the opioid epidemic that we face in this country, and also within the opioid epidemic to shed some light in the darkness of despair. So many Americans are suffering in silence and look to opioids to help them. There is nothing that saddens me more than the opioid epidemic, as my sister’s life was taken by opioids. I witnessed my sister’s suffering, and as her family member I also felt pain in seeing her suffer as I wanted to help her but couldn’t. One of the hardest realizations to face is no matter how much you want to help someone, the person that suffers from opioid addiction needs to make the choice to seek help on their own, and other people cannot make that choice for them. So many people look to drugs as they try to escape the inhumanity of inflation that they face in their daily lives. Americans are dying in the darkness of despair as they lose hope that their life situation will improve or get better. It saddens me to see the America I once knew growing up as a child change in this way. I want the opioid epidemic to get better, and I want change.

The Opioid Epidemic:  Winning the Fight

Per the FDA, between 1911 and the 1980’s, opioid pain medications were primarily used for acute pain and cancer pain. In 1987 MS Contin was approved by the FDA, followed by Duragesic in 1990, and then Oxycontin in 1995. According to the CDC, the number of opioid involved deaths have increased substantially since 1999. The number of people that died of an opioid overdose in 2022 was 10 times the number in 1999. The CDC talks about waves they have seen with the increase in prescribed opioids. In the 1990’s, the first wave began with doctors who prescribed opioids at increased rates. In those times, The American Pain Society encouraged medical staff to be trained to assess the patient’s pain as the 5^th vital sign, and that pain is what the patient says it is. The second wave of rapid deaths from overdoses began in 2010. The third wave of substantial deaths of Americans started in 2013 involving synthetic opioids. Per NIH, a study between 2015-2017 regarding consumption rates of opioids globally, America has the third highest consumption rates of opioids. Consumption of opioids was the highest in Germany, followed by Iceland, then the United States, and finally Canada. Countries in the top docile consumed 89% of controlled opioids between 2015-2017 and accounted for only 10% of the world population. Per NIH statistics in this study, the UK has much lower rates of opioid consumption than America. Out of the opioids globally, Oxycodone was consumed the most at 35%, followed by Morphine 15.9%, Methadone 15.8%, Tilidine 14%, then Hydrocodone.

The Opioid Epidemic:  A Personal Experience with My Family

I will give you a personal experience of witnessing my sister, whom I loved very much suffer from the opioid epidemic for many years before she eventually passed away. My sister tried to find help for her substance use disorder but was finding little to no available resources to help. She was a frequent flyer as she went to the local Emergency Room’s to try to get help for the symptoms she experienced from her addiction. I went to the Emergency Room with my sister and visited with my sister while she was an Inpatient at the hospital, and as her friend I tried to see what could be done to help her. What I witnessed was that the hospitals were not equipped to truly help people that have substance use disorder. I would oftentimes see that when she would go to the Emergency Room, the staff would help her recover from her most immediate presenting symptoms, but they could not help her in fixing the root cause of the problem. Even her inpatient stays did not offer the type of help she needed. The hospital staff treated and discharged my sister quickly, but did not treat the whole patient as they sent her home with little to no help outside of the hospital, so her addiction continued. As her family member, I also felt that more could have been offered to me as it was so difficult to want to help someone you love, but don’t know of the available resources to help her. At that time, there was not as much awareness or resources available to offer to help people with substance use disorder.

There are a few modalities that could help improve these statistics regarding doctors who prescribe opioids on an outpatient as well as inpatient basis. Doctors who prescribe opioids could teach patients how to wean off of opioids as their pain improves, but that decision is ultimately up to the prescribing doctor. Another consideration for the prescribing doctor of opioids is to assess the signs and symptoms of opioid addiction and offer resources to help people recover from their addiction. On top of these things, the prescribing doctor and dispensing pharmacy could notify the patient that opioid medications may have a risk addiction, so people are more informed of the risks before they start to take the medication. I feel that all Emergency Rooms, Hospitals, and Outpatient Clinics in America should be more equipped with treatment options and resources to help people in need that suffer with substance use disorder to shed some light in the darkness of despair within the opioid epidemic.

People put faith and trust in the medical field, and for the medical field to do the right thing. With all of that being said and in fairness, how could the medical staff doing front-line direct patient care fix a problem as big as the opioid epidemic? The opioid epidemic is a much bigger problem than only one part can fix. Many people in the medical field are oftentimes doing their jobs the best they can, are understaffed with little resources themselves, and have such hard jobs. I respect many people that work in the medical field, as they are so intelligent and see so much suffering. On top of that, medical jobs are so demanding and fast paced that they have a hard time slowing down to really help treat the whole patient these days. I think all people should walk in a nurse’s and doctor’s shoes to see what those jobs entail, as they are not easy by any means. One area that might shed some light in the darkness of despair within the opioid epidemic is to examine the business models within healthcare to see how they could help the staff have enough resources, so they have less demand, more time, and are able to slow down to truly help a patient in need.

Vulnerable American Population from The Opioid Epidemic

The most vulnerable people at risk of addiction to opioids are low-income Americans who are on Medicaid or Medicare. Many low-income Americans suffer from depression as they are not seeing their lives get better and lose hope as they look to opioids to help them feel better. Oftentimes, people that suffer from substance use disorder see their livelihood get taken away in one form or another. One example of people’s loss of income is when the job they once had gets accumulated by the tech industry. When this happens, people are not provided with replacement jobs that pay the same level of income or benefits they once had. As people become victims of inflation, they start to fall behind on things such as rent and mortgages, so they see true loss of wealth. The people who suffer in silence and despair in America no longer make enough money to pay for basic needs and are placed into positions in which their dignity is not preserved. America who was once a nation that had instilled beliefs that with hard work and determination your life will improve, has needed to swallow their pride by asking for handouts when they are used to earning a fair wage so they could pay their own way. Having the ability to own a home means that you can eventually retire in old age to rest in the home you worked so hard for your whole life which is the American Dream for many people. To shed some light in the darkness of despair within the opioid epidemic, I would like to see change to move forward, and to give the American people hope again of achieving the American Dream.

Receiving Help for The Opioid Epidemic

There are many barriers to receive help as there is a stigma associated with mental illness and also with having a substance use disorder. Many low-income people do not have enough money to seek treatment, do not have healthcare insurance, and oftentimes do not have transportation. Also, many times they are not aware of available resources to help them. Current models of thinking are to assess if there is a dual diagnosis such as having a combination of substance use disorder and mental illness. Oftentimes, substance use and mental health conditions go hand in hand, as people use substances to try to manage mental illness which can lead to addiction. According to NAMI (National Alliance of Mental Illness), many mental health clinics are starting to use alcohol and drug screening tools to identify people at risk and requires both issues to be addressed simultaneously. A few of the treatment modalities are Detoxification, Behavioral Therapies, Inpatient Rehabilitation, Supportive Housing, and Self Help Support Groups to just name a few to shed some light in the darkness of despair within the opioid epidemic. Another recent action is Naloxone, which is an anti-overdose medication that has been made more readily available over the counter in pharmacies to people in need.  Support groups can help people feel less alone in their suffering, as many people feel isolated that have substance use disorder and mental illness. Support groups can offer a nurturing environment and resources to help people in need. There are 12 step programs such as Narcotics Anonymous as well as Alcoholic Anonymous programs to help people that are struggling. SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) also offers resources to help people in need as well. Other resources to look to are local resources, the local health department, and the resource page on this blog.

The leaders of our country, pharmaceuticals, healthcare business models, doctors, dispensing pharmacies, outpatient clinics, emergency rooms, and hospitals in America play a huge role in helping people that suffer from substance use disorder. I feel that America can do so much better. My sister’s death was a great loss to me and my entire family as we all loved her dearly. My sister’s life could not be saved from the opioid epidemic, but my hope in writing this blog post is to shed some light in the darkness of despair within the opioid epidemic to help someone else who may be suffering in silence in the same way she did. By discussing the opioid epidemic in a different light, I hope people know that they are not suffering alone, people care and want to help. This poem is for you dear sister…

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Being born and raised in America, I didn’t really understand how the real-life American monopoly game was played. Growing up as an American kid, I enjoyed playing the board game during family fun times as I am sure most American kids did. In recent years however, I have seen that playing the board game and being part of the elite’s real-life American monopoly game are two different stories. I will tell you, being on the losing side of the elite’s real-life American monopoly game is no fun. Inflation in housing can bring a lot of sadness, heartache, and distress to those living out a life of poverty, while those winning the game get to experience all that the American dream has to offer to them.  

Times Have Changed Due to the Real-Life American Monopoly Game

Times have changed quite a bit since when I was younger growing up here. In America, we used to have a high quality of standards by being taught that all people have rights and deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. Sadly, what I have witnessed the last several years makes me feel that America is lost. I have seen people’s rights being trampled on, including my own rights as well as my family’s rights. People’s dignity has not been preserved in this nation, and many leaders do not show brotherly love to their neighbors. I have experienced first-hand how previous generations felt when they did not own property in this country. I have witnessed how property owners and elite rich landlords are treated well, but American renters that are unable to afford property due to housing inflation have been treated inhumanely. There was a time not too long ago when the American people had enough wealth to afford to buy a home. Wealth is being stolen through asset price inflation, and we the people have less ability to afford assets like homes. Wealth is concentrated to the top, as the top 1% holds nearly as much wealth as the bottom 90% combined. A billionaire or trillionaire can buy all of the real estate in the country and rent it back to us, and that is what they have been doing which is sad. It is no wonder the middle class is dwindling, and the middle class no longer has extra money to spend outside of basic necessities. The America I once knew as a child growing up has changed.

Government Risky Bailouts in the Real-Life American Monopoly Game

Capitalism has become dysfunctional, as we have a government that intervenes to save risky investments when there is a downturn in the economy.  When there is a downturn in the economy, government officials look to economists to help them out of messes even though some of those economists helped contribute to the economic mess. I have heard some people mention the term with no risk there is no reward, but what risk is there when the government intervenes to bail out risky investments with taxpayer money? To me that sounds like take out a risky investment and you are guaranteed to receive reward which is not really how investments are supposed to work. Rather than having a free market economy, we have an economy of monopolies that stifle out their competition. Does that sound like a free market economy to you? The loosening of monetary policy has contributed to the affordable housing crisis that we face today. Artificial growth on magic money trees is an illusion that causes housing inflation, is not real growth for all people that live in this country and mainly enriches those that already hold a lot of assets like housing. Government officials are elected to represent all of the people that live in the country including low income and middle-class people, not just the wealthy people. If you are reading this blog, it is likely that you have been examining the economy. There are interesting movies that address why the Great Recession happened that I watched while back. Through the following links, you can purchase the Monopoly board game I enjoyed growing up, and movies for your movie library that I watched that helped me to understand how the real-life American monopoly game is played.

Monopoly Board Game, Inside Job to rent or to buy, The Big Short to rent or to buy, and Margin Call to rent or to buy.

The Nation as a Whole Lost Due to the Real-Life American Monopoly Game

Since the Great Recession, banks, private equity firms, corporations, pensions, universities, house flippers, build to rent investors, rent to own investors, tech real estate market companies, property management software companies, online marketplace for vacation rental companies, and others have been buying up value properties to rent to the people just so they can win as individuals. The thing they don’t realize is that even though they have won as individuals, the nation as a whole has lost through this great American tragedy. These entities convert single family homes into rentals that have inflated the entire housing market. Not only are we dealing with high rents in apartments, but we are also not able to buy a house either because those costs have been inflated which is a disturbing trend. High monied interests can get lower-interest-rate loans than the average consumer, so they go into bidding wars over a single-family home with the average consumer with no true loss of money to them. They have created a frenzied demand for single family homes by outbidding average American citizens for single family homes in some cases by hundreds of thousands of dollars with all cash offers. In turn, common American citizens followed their same casino-like gambling behavior by raising each other in higher bids, tactics, frenzies, and inflated the housing market higher. The supply of homes that people can buy has been decreased through their heinous acts, as many of their rentals sit empty collecting dust because their houses are too inflated. It is no wonder why the American people feel that buying a home today is only possible by taking a chance at playing the lotto and luckily winning a gambling casino game. The years of being able to purchase a home by earning honest wages through hard work and determination is slipping away quickly.

On top of all of this, Wall Street turns around and places those single-family homes on the stock market for investors to make more money off of the great American tragedy. Single-family homes should be used for the purpose of shelter, not to be placed on the stock market for speculation and passive income. There are other ways to earn a passive income, and housing should not be one of them. The elite are having a shared celebration as they leap forward flipping single family homes from being an owned property that once created wealth for the American people into being a rented property that steals wealth from the American people. This act has taken away freedom from the American people that don’t own a home yet, and steals wealth from future generations. The people of America that would have normally been able to buy a home to create a legacy of wealth and stability turn into renters to the monopoly of greed.

What the Losing Side is Like in the Real-Life American Monopoly Game

Living in the real-life American monopoly game, I have seen what the losing side of the elite’s game feels like. I have lived in apartments in many years past and have never seen the kind of treatment from the landlords that I have seen in recent years. It is scary being a renter these days, as the elite landlords have not been treating their tenants with respect or kindness as they used to. I will give you a personal example of what I have been through as a renter for the last four years. After my divorce, I moved into a townhouse apartment from the largest apartment landlord in America. At first, I thought it was a nice place to live, but over time the property’s quality and standards went downhill. The landlord did not maintain the property very well, was not trustworthy, and drew up shady contracts to sign that took away my legal rights. Maintenance did come quickly when I put in work orders but were not trustworthy and would come to the apartment without notifying me first even when I requested it in which I felt was an invasion of privacy. The gates to the apartment complex were left open because they were broken, and when they were working they gave codes that did not work to open the gates. The garage door to my apartment broke a few times and opened randomly as well. The property was not secure, and I felt unsafe living there. 

The landlord charged monthly for pest control, but they didn’t come out monthly. Even when I requested for pest control, they would sometimes take a week or longer to come. The apartments were infested with mice, centipedes, ants, flies, spiders, cockroaches, and bugs I couldn’t identify. I had to pass by dead rodents and birds on walks outside. One time on my patio, there was a large tarantula in which they told me they could not help me with. The apartment had a mold problem, in which two mushrooms grew out from under the flooring in the bathroom. I tested underneath the flooring where the mushrooms were for mold with an at home kit, and it came back positive for Penicillium spp. species which is a mold that was dangerous to my family’s health. I addressed the health concerns of the apartment with the management, and they didn’t respond back. The landlord wanted to charge me large fines for trash valet for not having a bag tied. I paid for a monthly trash valet service that I didn’t use because I was afraid to be fined by the landlord. Plus, the timeframes for the service were during hours that were inconvenient for me, so to me the service was useless. The dumpster at the apartment overflowed with trash, smelled, and was not maintained by the staff. 

The property had foundation damage as there were cracks on the ceiling. I asked for certain areas of my apartment and the wood on the patio outside that was rotting to be painted, and they told me to paint it myself. The apartment land flooded during the 2024 storm, but the landlord did not do any flood prevention to the property. During the 2021 ice storm, the pipes burst in the apartment building I lived in, and all of the residents were without running water for a week. Every Monday, the leave blowers spent hours with disturbing loud machines blowing around leaves, but the fallen leaves still remained on the property so in essence they disturbed everyone for nothing. 

During my time living at the apartment, they did two major projects and hired people that had poor standards. They replaced the roof, but the people that did the project left nails all over the driveway that could have gone into my car tires. After the roof was replaced, the roof leaked at the front door when it rained. They did a tree trimming project and left branches all over the yard for days. On both projects, they ripped out the screen from the window. I went to the front office to tell them of what happened, and the office staff offered no empathy, and told me that they are not giving me special treatment. I told them I am not asking for special treatment, but to be treated humanely with decency and respect by them in which they did not want to offer to me. The office staff response to me was to move, which made me feel that they are not going to try to improve or make things better. It was like one bad thing after another at that place. 

When I approached the office staff in regard to my concerns they dismissed and ignored my concerns. The management turned over frequently while I lived at the apartment, and after the management flipped, they started to increase my rent by 20% per year. When they raised my rent by 20% the first time, I tried to negotiate with them which did not work. I think they were pushing me out to get a new resident in. I told the landlord I was a single mom living off of one income, and that the yearly rent increases were more than my yearly wage increases at my job. They told me they didn’t care and could get a new resident that would pay “market rate” for the apartment. The next year they raised my rent by 20% again. In all my years of living in an apartment, rents have never increased like this. My rent went from being affordable at $1730/month in 2020 to unaffordable at $2570/month in 2024, which was a 48% increase over a 4-year timeframe; plus, an additional $130/month for services I didn’t use. I feel that our local governments should have imposed some type of rent control, but they didn’t as they allowed the landlord to be socially irresponsible by making living conditions worse rather than better for me and my family. The property should have been in pristine condition with all of the high costs, but instead the landlord pocketed the large profits for their own benefit rather than investing it back into the property to make it better for the residents that lived there. Landlords like this are bad landlords and are not socially responsible, as they make living conditions worse rather than better for people.

Apartment and single-family home private equity landlords along with American property software companies are unethical and dishonest as they work together as a tag team to inflate the American people’s rents which benefits them to make more money. Private equities go into high debt and need to make up that debt by inflating rents and not maintaining the property very well. Because of their contributions in creating a rigged system that mainly benefits landlords, they have forced people into being renters that don’t want to be renters. They have created less choice rather than more choice, as the housing prices are too inflated. Families are being pushed into tiny communal apartments and houses with communal corporate landlords in control of our living situation. Rather than dreams they offer nightmares; that is the legacy they leave behind. I felt pushed out of the apartment by the landlords excessive rent increases, and for all of the mean things they did to me while I lived there. Over time I realized this is a really bad landlord, and it was time to go.

Something Has to Give as the Real-Life American Monopoly Game is Not Working for Many People

Living in the elite’s real life monopoly game has been challenging to say the least. Housing inflation has taken many of my freedoms away, as well as people in similar situations as me. Investors have made housing so expensive that the people are indebted to work a lifetime for corporations to pay for a single-family home. I feel that prioritizing corporations is important as a leader of this country, but our country has grown corporate monopolies that allow the investors to overshadow the people’s chance to attain a better life. Due to these acts, the government has taken away rights granted to the people in the Declaration of Independence. Written in the Declaration of Independence is “We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness”. By not being paid enough by corporations, people are given a lower chance of survival as they have difficulty in affording inflated housing, food, clothing, healthcare, and a higher education which goes against the foundation of our country. People can no longer afford to live in this country which goes against the Declaration of Independence. Monopolies and oligarchies have a lot of wealth and power to instill fear in us if we speak up against the broken economy, which is in part why our democracy is diminishing. The idea of America has been a dream of what a country could be. A country of ideals, hopes, and dreams. A country of possibilities and not peril. The question to ask ourselves is will we be able to govern through a democracy or allow the small group of elite oligarchs to continue to enrich themselves at the expense of their own citizenry.

I hope you will be able to see that something needs to give as this is an unsustainable path and is not working for many people that live in this country. My hope in writing this blog is to make America a better place to live, and more affordable again. I have written a post last week that titled Home Prices are Inflating Faster than Incomes in America in which I would encourage you to read, a Resource page to help people in need, as well as a Basic Bills Tracker and Budget Planner in which you can find directly on my blog Shop page and on Etsy.

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In this blog post, we will explore how home prices are inflating faster than incomes in America. The rising cost of single-family homes has remained one of the driving factors of inflation for years now. Rising housing costs are fueling the Consumer Price Index (CPI), as the shelter (owner and renters) component of the CPI is a third of the overall index. One of the biggest issues with rising housing costs is the burden of debt that is created in large part by investors that gets passed on to American consumers, which is unfair and is completely messed up. These factors make living in America difficult for many Americans that were born and raised here, as they no longer have the ability to flourish. There are many reasons why home prices are inflating faster than incomes in America, in which I plan to continue discuss beyond this blog post, but in this blog post we will examine a few key points together.

My Personal Experience Regarding How Home Prices Are Inflating Faster Than Incomes in America

I will give you an example of a personal experience I had regarding how home prices are inflating faster than incomes in America. Right at the start of the pandemic, I went through a divorce. There is never a good time to get a divorce, but the pandemic era would notably be up there as one of the worst times to get a divorce for various reasons. It was hard to predict what was going to happen to housing during those times, and many experts say you should not make a huge financial decision such as purchasing a single-family home during a divorce to protect yourself financially. On top of that, I was looking to purchase a smaller home with a more reasonable price point. Right before our divorce during the summer of 2020, single-family homes were not inflated to the point that you could not afford to buy one yet, but homes were increasing in price. We officially divorced in September 2020 which was six months after the declared start of the pandemic, and within months of our divorce housing drastically inflated.

There are various reasons as to why I think housing drastically inflated during the pandemic, but one reason was there was a downturn in the economy at the start of the pandemic in 2020, in which the government intervened quickly to prevent it. Many people do not even realize that this happened as it was not really talked about that much. Nevertheless, it was a sellers-market, and the sellers knew it. Sellers wanted potential buyers of single-family homes to decide in less than a week to buy the house, didn’t want buyers to do inspections, and wanted to do lease backs. Investors would up-bid on the same single-family home, driving up the costs in some cases by hundreds of thousands of dollars, which quickly and drastically increased the price of all housing where I live. Housing investors and sellers were brazen as they downright messed up the housing market, and they continue to pass on the debt burden they created in the housing market to unsuspecting Americans just so they can cancel their own debts which is not fair. They may have won as individuals, but due to them the nation as a whole lost. The housing market still remains unhealthy to this day due to their acts, and buyers are at a disadvantage.

In the meantime, I was only receiving a yearly 1% increase in my base rate of pay at my job, which was not matching the level of inflation that was occurring in the housing market which was discouraging. I felt that I was working to earn income to survive but not working to earn income to get ahead. Even though I wanted to buy a single-family home which was within my reach prior to the pandemic, I felt that I had no choice but to rent. The American identity that we heard growing up “with hard work and determination, your life will improve” was quickly slipping away along with my freedom, as much of my income needed to go to the landlord to benefit the landlord. These conditions made me ask myself, how will I ever get ahead? I was living in a nightmare rather than the American dream that many of our national hero’s talked about in years past. The housing market experienced a type of irrational exuberance that is unsustainable, especially for families living off of a single-family income. If you are reading this blog, it is likely that you have been examining the economy. There is a book that addresses Irrational Exuberance that I read a while back that discusses the economy as well as economic history in realistic viewpoints, in which you can purchase the book I read 2001 version here, or there is a lower cost 2016 version.

Facts Regarding How Home Prices Are Inflating Faster Than Incomes in America

Since many Americans have very little in their savings account due to various reasons but in large part due to an imbalance of earning a fair income as it relates to housing inflation, I have factored that into the following facts and figures. Keep in mind the following increasing cost of single-family home mortgage payments can also relate to the cost of rent, as rent has been inflating drastically in tandem with single-family homes. Increasing costs of rent in large part benefit the tag team of apartment landlords, single-family home landlords, and American property management software companies that are owned by private equity. This is at the expense of the American people, as people are left with fewer choices when their incomes do not cover the inflated cost of rent either at an apartment or at a single-family home that is owned by these billionaires.

Facts and Figures: Median Existing Home Prices in America

Analysis of the Data

• As you can see in the graph above, there is a sharp and drastic single-family home price increase during the pandemic from 2019-2023. Notably, the prices of single-family homes rose sharply and drastically from 2011-2023 as well, compared to the years prior to 2000.
• There is an 1592% Increase of Median Existing Home Prices from 1970-2023
• There is an 134% Increase of Median Existing Home Prices from 2011-2023
• There is a 43% Increase of Median Existing Home Prices from 2019-2023
• If you were to buy a home with the average 2023 Median Existing Home Price of $389,300, an example of the Principal and Interest Monthly Mortgage Payment would be as follows:  $2590/month principal and interest payment with $0 downpayment on the single-family home, with a 30-year loan term, and a 7% Interest Rate. Keep in mind these facts and figures do not include property tax or homeowner’s insurance which have also been increasing in cost in recent years as well.
• Most economic experts agree that your housing costs should only be 30% of your income. If you were considering purchasing a home at the Median Cost of Existing Home Prices in 2023 of $389,300 and needed to pay a mortgage of $2590/month, you would need to need to make $8634/month, as 30% of $8634/month is a $2590/month mortgage payment. Again, keep in mind these facts and figures do not include property tax or homeowner’s insurance which would add to the cost of your monthly mortgage payment.
• Some areas have more housing inflation than others, so you would need to take home more income as stated in these facts and figures if the area that you live in has excessive single-family home inflation.
• Also, another factor to consider is that if you lose your job, you will not have any income coming in at all and will have difficulty in affording these monthly payments unless you have savings or can find another job quickly.

Facts and Figures: Median New Home Prices in America

Analysis of the Data

• As you can see in the graph above, there is a sharp and drastic single-family home price increase during the pandemic from 2019-2023. Notably, the prices of single-family homes rose sharply and drastically from 2011-2023 as well, compared to the years prior to 2000.
• There is an 1732% Increase of Median New Home Prices from 1970-2023
• There is an 89% Increase of Median New Home Prices from 2011-2023
• There is a 33% Increase of Median New Home Prices from 2019-2023
• If you were to buy a home with the average 2023 Median New Home Prices of $428,600, an example of the Principal and Interest Monthly Mortgage Payment would be as follows:  $2851/month principal and interest payment with $0 down payment on the single-family home, with a 30-year loan term, and a 7% Interest Rate. Keep in mind these facts and figures do not include property tax or homeowner’s insurance which have also been increasing in cost in recent years as well.
• Most economic experts agree that your housing costs should only be 30% of your income. If you were considering purchasing a home at the Median Cost of New Home Prices in 2023 of $428,600 and needed to pay a mortgage of $2851/month, you would need to make $9504/month, as 30% of $9504/month is a $2851/month mortgage payment. Again, keep in mind these facts and figures do not include property tax or homeowner’s insurance which would add to the cost of your monthly mortgage payment.
• Some areas have more housing inflation than others, so you would need to take home more income as stated in these facts and figures if the area that you live in has excessive single-family home inflation.
• Also, another factor to consider is that if you lose your job, you will not have any income coming in at all and will have difficulty in affording these monthly payments unless you have savings or can find another job quickly.

Facts and Figures: Median Household Income in the America

Analysis of the Data

• Some but not all of the employers started to catch on to the inflated conditions in America, as they started to increase income. There was a steady 55% Increase in Median Household Income in the United States from 2010-2023 which is good but doesn’t quite cut it with the parallel drastic price increase in single-family homes.
• As you can see in the above chart, the Median Household Income steadily rose, but did not inflate as drastically with sharp increases as you can see in the New and Existing Home Median Price charts above.
• Most economic experts agree that your housing costs should only be 30% of your income. If you make the 2023 Median Household Income in the United States of $77,719/year or $5978/month, 30% of that income is a $1793/month mortgage payment. As you can see in analysis of the data above, many Americans are not earning enough to afford the 2023 New and Existing Home Median Price points.
• Keep in mind that $77,719 is the Median Household Income in the United States, so there are many people in America taking home less than this income.
• Some but not all employers increased salaries, which is not consistent across the board for all employees which is discouraging, unfair, and unjust for many Americans.

The final price of single-family home’s matter. The pace of housing price inflation is irrational, irresponsible, unhealthy, is not sustainable, and does not make America a better place to live.

In reviewing the analysis of single-family housing inflation as it compares to household incomes in America, I hope you will be able to see that something needs to give as this is an unsustainable path and is not working for many people that live in this country. My hope in writing this blog is to make America a better place to live, and more affordable again. I have written a Resource page to help people in need, as well as a Basic Bills Tracker and Budget Planner in which you can find directly on my blog Shop page and on Etsy.

Written by: Nicole Harris-Armstrong

Last updated: January 9, 2025

My hope in writing this blog post is to make America affordable again while living in two parallel realities, as the economic system has failed many people. I have noticed that over the last several years, the economic system is set up for people to either win or lose. People’s incomes are not inflating as fast as things like single family homes, cars, healthcare, and education. The economic machine is unfair, as many people were not taught about inflation at a young age which makes them at a disadvantage compared to people that were taught about it while they were young.

The first of the two realities living in a parallel universe

In the first of the two realities living in a parallel universe, people are able to easily afford their lifestyles. The people in this class own single-family homes, vacation homes, cars, have healthcare insurance, go to high end restaurants, buy whatever food they want, expensive clothes, go to private schools, universities, and on vacations. They don’t have to worry about looking at price tags when they buy things, as they can afford most anything they want. They will most likely be able to retire at some point if they choose to do so. Many of the people in this class don’t know or understand what life is like on the other side of the parallel, as their lives do not intersect with them.

The second of the two realities living in a parallel universe

In the second of the two parallel realities in a parallel universe, people are struggling to survive. They don’t know how they will pay for the high cost of rent or mortgage, cars, clothes, healthcare, and education. Many of the people in this class wonder what their next meal will be as it becomes increasingly difficult to pay for, don’t go on vacations, and work multiple gig jobs with no benefits. The young live with their parents to survive, don’t get married, don’t start families, don’t own a house or a car. The people in this class will most likely not be able to retire when they grow older, as they will not have a choice to do so. Due to the nature of asset prices increasing, people find that their wage or fixed income doesn’t go as far as it once did, and the economy does not make sense as they become victims of inflation.

Financial Freedom

In making America more affordable again while living in a parallel universe, we need to look more closely at these two parallel realities, as common people are having a harder and harder time living and surviving. In this parallel universe, one side feels they have won, have choices, and a sense of financial freedom, while the other side feels they have lost, have no choices, and are financially enslaved.

My hope in writing this blog is to make America a better place to live, and more affordable again. I have written a resource page to help people in need, as well as a Basic Bills Tracker and Budget Planner in which you can find directly on my blog shop page and on Etsy. Below is a poem I recently wrote that I have also included in this post. I hope you enjoy it…