A month on the edge. This investigative series follows a single mother through rent week math, childcare deserts, and landlord screenings that never forget a blemish. Across three chapters, we map how wages fall short, how benefits cliffs erase raises, and how transportation and scheduling compound the strain. Then we test what works: early rent prevention, right-to-counsel scripts, flexible childcare pickups, carpool backups, and the buffer envelope that holds a household steady.

This is not a story of failure. It is a story of doing everything right and still facing a system stacked against stability. The outcome is not a miracle but a ramp: one month without a late fee, a renewal that carries context, and a raise that finally stays in the grocery line. Clear dates, plain terms, and receipts—this is how single mothers hold the line against poverty and housing insecurity.