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Low credit score prevents one family from moving apartments

Family of three is struggling to find a solution

With little space and another child on the way, the Moore family is concerned for their future.

Parents Michael Moore and Christine Deen

By: Reyna Preciado

Posted

TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Getting an apartment can be especially hard these days with higher-than-average rent and inflation. For some, it’s even harder to qualify because they have low credit scores.

An Experian study from 2021 shows the average credit card debt balance is around $5,200. So it can be easy to get behind—and for Michael Moore, it’s holding him back from moving forward from a difficult past.

Moore, Christine Deen and their daughter Emmalee live in a 650 square foot two-bedroom apartment.

They've been on the search for an apartment for 13 months, but keep getting denied.

“My credit is not good enough. I have a 540 and you have to have a 580 or greater,” said Moore.

Paying that debt off isn’t as easy as it seems when a person is struggling to get by.

“Living here with the rent going up doesn’t help anything. So when it’s all said and done, there isn’t much left to work on my credit,” he said.

He just wants a bigger space for the child they’re expecting in June. They’re having a boy and want to name him Lyric.

Moore has had a difficult past, from abuse in foster care and an unfortunate cycle of events that lead to a felony for check fraud.

But now, all he wants is for Deen and his kids to have a good life.

“She’s getting frustrated, she’s getting down on things. We’re going to find a place before Lyric’s here,” he said.

While space isn’t always a means for survival, they are also dealing with roaches and several other safety concerns in their current apartment.

“There’s a lot of roaches in the kitchen. I hate that I have to be always in there cleaning constantly where her bottles are. And those roaches are in there all the time. It’s just demoralizing,” he said.

Deen has to live in the space full time as a stay at home mom on disability.

KGUN 9 has been looking into available local resources where Moore and others who struggle with a low credit credit score and a complicated background can find help, and will share them online and on-air when and if such resources become apparent.

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Reyna Preciado is a reporter for KGUN 9, she joined the KGUN 9 team in July of 2022 after graduating Arizona State University. Share your story ideas with Reyna by emailing reyna.preciado@kgun9.com or by connecting on Instagram, or Twitter.

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