Neighbors Save A 70-Year-Old Woman From Going Homeless By Buying The House She Was Supposed To Be Evicted From

A house can only be called a home if you feel safe and comfortable in it, or if you are surrounded by people you know and love while living in it. Some people may even say that home is not a place; it's a feeling.

It's a bittersweet feeling to move out of a place you have called home for so long, especially when you have grown accustomed to the presence and warmth of your neighbors. Many people move out because of career changes, necessity, or certain situations, but one of the most heartbreaking reasons for leaving one's home is being forcefully evicted by landlords.

What would you feel if you had no choice but to move out of your home after many years because your landlord just informed you that they are going to sell it—and you have no means to buy the whole house yourself?

That's exactly the case for this 70-year-old woman in Minneapolis, who has been renting a little white house for almost two decades. Her home was threatened to be taken away when the landlord suddenly decided to sell the property. She received a notice about her lease termination in January 2022 and was asked to move out before April.

Her name's Linda Taylor, and she has been raising her five children in this little white house they call home near Powderhorn Park in Minneapolis for 18 years.

This left her and her family in a dire situation they thought they had no way out of.

“This was not good,” Linda told Star Tribune. “I took care of this house every day. Every appliance I own, all the utilities for 18-plus years, I have paid for.”Save Miss Linda’s Home

She actually once legally owned the house when she bought it in 2004. However, she became involved in a fraud scheme, which led her to sell the house— which was then purchased by her landlord.

She started to fall behind on payments and was tricked into selling the house back to the previous owner, who then allowed her to rent the property. Greg Berendt, her current landlord, raised her rent twice amidst the pandemic, and he did not help with repairs and maintenance, so the issues lingered.

Linda worked for a nonprofit organization for almost three years, but she was laid off during the pandemic. She lost her paycheck but was still able to pay her rent of $1,400 every month from her savings, help from family, and subsidies from the government.

Save Miss Linda’s Home

Greg only gave her three months to move out because he wanted to sell it. But Linda was determined to stay.

It was like “a stone had just dropped on me,” she said.“It felt like the world had been pulled from under me,” she continued. “My house means everything to me.”

So even though she was being asked to evacuate, she was determined to stay. She asked for help from one of her neighbors, Andrew Fahlstrom, who was an organizer for housing rights.

They have formed a friendship ever since Andrew moved into the neighborhood about six years ago.

“If we actually believe housing is a right, then we need to act like it, because the next stop is homelessness,” he said.savelindashome

When she opened up to Andrew, her story spread like wildfire throughout their neighborhood.

savelindashome

Everyone immediately wanted to take action, so they held meetings to figure out how to save Linda from being evicted. They have grown to love the old lady who always spent a lot of time tending her garden outdoors and approaching anyone who would come to check her Little Free Library.

She was always at the forefront of volunteering for the betterment of their little community, and now that she was the one who needed help, her neighbors were quick to back her up.

“We just immediately shifted into high gear and started meeting to figure out a plan to help rectify the situation and ultimately allow her to stay in her home, which is what she wants to do,” one of her neighbors, Jenny, said.savelindashome

As it turned out, over 400 people signed a petition to have the landlord cancel Linda's lease termination. They also started negotiations to transfer the ownership of the house to the rightful old lady.

“People listened to what Miss Linda was saying and wanted to do something,” Andrew said. “It was just such a clear and compelling story that everyone rallied for her.”

One neighbor even wrote in a column, stating that Linda did not deserve to be displaced, given that she has spent over $200,000 in rent and the costs of upkeep throughout the years.

“The neighborhood’s being proactive in what they’re trying to achieve here, and I give them kudos for that,” Greg said. “We’re not trying to cause any issues… We’re willing to work with her in any way we can for her to purchase the home. I’d like to see the home go to her.”savelindashome

They were granted an additional two months before Greg would list the property publicly.

Save Miss Linda’s Home

But with this extension of time comes a new challenge: raising $250,000 for Linda to acquire the house, as that was their mutually agreed-upon amount.

When April 1 came, the date that Linda was supposed to be out of the house, the neighbors threw a block party. Food, dancing, and music were shared, and signs that said 'Stop evictions!' and 'Save Linda's Home' were all over the vicinity.

They had a fundraiser set up since mid-February, which brought in amounts ranging from $5 to $15,000, but the total wasn't enough to buy the house.

“It’s such a crazy market right now. It’s not the greatest time for this, but it’s the right thing to do,” Jenny said.

The campaign website states: “Miss Linda means so much to this community and has put her own love and labor into maintaining her house as her home. Her community and neighbors are clear: We will not allow her to be evicted and displaced!”

Save Miss Linda’s Home

Donations continued to pour in, but it was the Longfellow's Holy Trinity Lutheran Church's hefty donation of $200,000 that finally led Linda and her neighbors to emerge victorious.

Linda was truly grateful for all her neighbors' efforts.

“I still love my community no matter what happens,” she said. “I still love Powderhorn. I love my neighbors. They’ve been so good to me.”savelindashome

On May 31, Linda officially gained her rightful ownership. The additional funds were used for repairs and utility bills.

Save Miss Linda’s Home

She was able to pay for the house exactly one month before her deadline.

savelindashome

All thanks to her kind neighbors, and also to her landlord, who fortunately had the heart to give Linda some extension to find a way to acquire the house.

“It’s a modern-day miracle,” said the Rev. Angela Khabeb. “People need to be able to walk by that house, and even if they gave $5, they know, ‘I helped Miss Linda stay in this house. We won.’”“We wanted to take a stand for our beloved community member staying here… but we will continue to meet and figure out how we can keep our community together and what we can do to support others who might be struggling with rent.”savelindashome

Jenny highlighted that this was made possible because Linda asked for help.

“I know there’s a lot of people out there who are too scared to tell or don’t know what to do,” she said. “Tell people so we can help you.”“When it’s yours, it gives you a different type of feeling,” Linda said. “I’m safe, I’m secure, and I have a home.”

She says she wants to continue hosting backyard barbecues, movie nights, and lemonade stands together with her grandchildren.

Save Miss Linda’s Home

After almost two decades, Linda finally had ownership of the house, and she was truly determined to pay all her neighbors' efforts forward.

After nearly 20 years, the house was finally Linda’s to keep.

Save Miss Linda’s Home

Check out people's reactions to this heartwarming story:

It really is beautiful to see people come together to help someone in need!

And worth living for.

We hope to hear more stories like this, but we certainly don't wish for anyone to experience what Linda went through.

Because at the end of the day, this wouldn't have ended well if it weren't for the very supportive neighbors that Linda has. What about those who don't have these kinds of people around them?

Such an amazing story to read, right?

It is truly an amazing thing to see people unite for causes like this, and while it's a bittersweet situation for Linda, at the end of the day, she has these people to support her. Not everyone has the blessing of being in such a kind and loving neighborhood, but we just hope that people like Linda will somehow be met with the same fortune someday.

What do you think of this story? Comment down your thoughts, or share this article with all your family and friends to see!