I’ve known Carmilla and Michael for over a decade, and I’ve never met two people who’ve fought harder—with quieter dignity—for their family and their principles.

Most folks who only see the surface think they’re just another couple caught in Chicago’s housing nightmare. The truth is far heavier. They’ve survived multiple illegal evictions (including the 2013 occupation of a Blackstone-owned foreclosed house that ended with back-to-back arrests), endless CHA investigations, DCFS raids based on vindictive lies, and a system that punishes you for refusing to play its games. They’ve lost their Section 8 voucher and survived through sheer willpower when almost anyone else would have lost their lives years ago. They raised kids through most of it, kept them fed, kept them loved, and somehow kept their moral backbone intact.

And that backbone is exactly why they keep getting crushed.

Because Carmilla and Michael have been together longer than most legally married couples I know, but they’ve never signed a state marriage license. It’s not carelessness—it’s a deliberate choice. They reject the idea that their commitment, their family, their love needs government paperwork to be legitimate. In any sane world that would be admirable. In this one, it means they’re permanently classified as “two single adults” instead of a family unit. No joint applications for housing programs, no domestic-partner benefits, no safety net designed for couples. They fall through every crack because they refuse to lie or to reduce their bond to a form that says “I belong to the state now.”

Right now they’re facing a court-ordered move-out date of December 31st, 2025. The building did not get payments from the charity that agreed to pay their rent, management and the courts have zero flexibility, and after everything they’ve already endured, my friends are once again packing up a lifetime of memories with nowhere to go. They need to secure a small storage unit—literally the only thing keeping them from losing everything to the street—but they have no vehicle and no way to physically move what little they have left.

This is where I’m asking for help.

If you’re in Chicago and have a truck, a van, a strong back, or even an afternoon between now and the 31st, please reach out. They need hands to load and unload furniture and things of memories and sentimental values. No amount of help is too small. Gas money, a few hours, a share of this post—anything keeps them from starting 2026 with literally nothing.

I’ve watched these two refuse to break for ten straight years. They shouldn’t have to do this last part alone.

DM me (Jason Page) or reply here and I’ll connect you directly. If you can’t help physically, boost this so it reaches someone who can.

Carmilla and Michael have spent their lives proving that family is bigger than paperwork and housing is a human right and love doesn’t need the state’s permission.

Let’s prove that solidarity is still real.

#MutualAid #Chicago #HousingIsAHumanRight #StandWithCarmillaAndMichael

Thank you.

—Jason Page (friend & witness to a decade of resilience)