Maybe

Trey Smith

Apartment hunting in the Columbia Gorge has been a real challenge. As I've discussed before, affordable housing options there are few and far between. We have noted one basement apartment in Hood River, Oregon, that, while at the extreme upper end of our limited budget, might work for the remainder of Della's 6-month term. She will go view it tomorrow morning.

We are hopeful that the letters we sent to the various property managements firms will be of some assistance. If the company that manages this particular apartment sticks to their general requirements -- very HIGH security deposits -- then this will be a no go. On the other hand, if they are willing to make allowances for a volunteer's AmeriCorps service to the community, then it might be doable. I will still need to crunch some numbers.

I've warned Della not to get her hopes up. The transition to living alone in a strange town has not been easy for her. I don't want to see her feel crushed if this apartment doesn't work out. She tells me she's trying to be realistic, but that can be hard when a person feels as if they are living in a very unreal situation.

The best we can do right now is to cross our fingers.