SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — Burgandy Collinsworth knows what it’s like to live on the street. She’s done it before, but now that she has three kids, she never wants to do it again.
“How does it feel when you think about the possibility of being homeless again?” ABC 10News reporter Perla Shaheen asked.
“Like my world is falling apart around me,” Collinsworth said.
She says it’s a struggle to pay rent on top of other bills. A recent report by Apartment List shows San Diego’s overall cost of living is 47% higher than the national average.
“My money to the T pays for every bill. I am getting to a point where I don’t have enough,” she said.
The report shows that groceries in San Diego are 10% more expensive than the rest of the nation, and utilities 11%.
“I’m on a fixed income, it doesn’t go so far. That feeling of not being able to take care of my kids is heartbreaking,” she says.
Collinsworth says her electricity bill went from $150 to $500 in January. She’s been standing outside stores to panhandle for food.
“I would literally have a little index card and say 'Excuse me — I don’t want any money, but I need some food. This is what I need,” she says.
Her family is scraping by thanks to the good will of others.
“God says if you ask, you shall receive,” Collinsworth says.
Collinsworth made a GoFundMe to gain support her family. Click here if you'd like to donate.
