Hi Sue,

Sorry for the slow welcome. Tillie is our usual "welcome wagon" lady and she has needed to be gone for a few days.

You didn't get there in a week, so you won't get out in a week, but seeing the problem and addressing it us the first step.

Eviction is alentthy and difficult process. You should be able to find tenant and hopefully mental health resources in your area that can make your rights clear and perhaps offer you help.

Meanwhile,
What does "barely livable" mean to you? Are there issues like spoiled food and garbage? Or is it more of an accessibility issue? Can you start by clearing a path to the area where the work needs to be done? Or is it more important to address sanitation? Do you have pets?

How can we help?

I moved into a very nice apartment in Chicago 5 years ago. After 5 years of neglect and accumulation of stuff, it's barely liveable. My landlord will be doing work in my apartment in less than a week. I am terrified of what will happen when janitor sees my apartment. Terrified of facing the consequences of hoarding. Terrified of being evicted.