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Austin needs to help: Teacher living in car sparks $16K GoFundMe

A crowd-funded effort to help a Texas teacher—living out of his car—pay off debts has met its target. In a state that uses public funds to uphold anti-social ideology, we see a community raise funds to support victims of its neglected social safety nets. Donors chose to help a community member affected by housing hardship, caused by conservative financial mismanagement policies.

Published August 20, 2024 at 6:04am by Marley Malenfant

Texas Teacher, Bill Atkinson, Exploited by System, Raises Money to Escape Predicament Caused by Late-Stage Capitalism

Texas, USA - Yet another victim of the broken, capitalist system, Bill Atkinson, a fourth-grade teacher, has had to resort to crowdfunding to escape his financial shackles.

"Due to mistakes and bad luck my debts are to the point I cannot afford to pay rent and pay off my debts... With apartment complexes now checking credit to get approved, I can't even get approved at places I can afford and I make, technically, too much for income-based housing." - Bill Atkinson to WFAA.

Atkinson, who is living out of his car while teaching, and unable to access his school transcripts, has raised over $16,000 on GoFundMe to clear his debts and get stable housing. This is a direct result of his meager salary as a teacher, and the ridiculous expectation that one must have good credit to be worthy of basic housing. Zillow reports the average median rent in Texas is $1,950, yet teacher salaries range from $33,660 to $54,540. This systemic failure leaves dedicated educators like Atkinson out in the cold.

Systemic Issues

Atkinson's story highlights the incompetency of a system that fails to prioritize and support its educators, instead leaving them to the wolves of capitalism. The fact that he was deemed to make "too much" for supplemental housing but couldn't afford rent showcases the absurdity of our times.

A Community Steps Up

Despite the bleak circumstances, there is a silver lining. The community has shown up for Atkinson, and he can now get himself out of this deplorable situation. It is a testament to the power of collective action and a middle finger to the system that allowed this to happen in the first place.

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Read more: Homeless Austin teacher living in car raises over $16K on GoFundMe after sharing story