Alana Thompson, better known as Honey Boo Boo has led a pretty rough life. She was thrust into the spotlight at a young age as part of Toddlers in Tiaras before getting her own show. Then her mom went through a major drug addiction, which landed her in jail.
Just as things seemed to be getting better, Alana’s sister and TV show co-star Anna (Chickadee) passed away. Now after only a year away at college Honey Boo Boo is struggling to find a place to live.
Honey Boo Boo Goes to Colorado
On the last season of Mama June: Family Crisis Alana moved to Colorado with Dralin to attend Regis University. The move drew a lot of criticism as Anna’s health was failing. June tried to dissuade Alana from going to college so far away, but she ultimately decided to move to Colorado with her boyfriend Dralin.
When Alana decided to go to school in Colorado she had trouble finding an apartment. Because she was planning to live with her boyfriend she needed to find off-campus housing. That proved difficult as she had no credit and limited financial resources.
Alana eventually managed to secure an apartment for her and Dralin for their first year. However, it looks like they are again looking for somewhere to live.
She put out a video on social explaining that her lease was up and she needed somewhere to live. However, some of the statements she made do not add up. For instance, she explains problems with Dralin’s credit and her lack of credit are making it difficult and his old student loans are the main reason.
A Lack of Understanding
Alana is very young and likely does not fully understand the rental process – or credit for that matter. Government-backed student loans typically do not have a large impact on a borrower’s credit, so there may be more to Dralin’s financial woes than she knows.
Alana also noted that she does not have credit, which is not surprising for someone at that age. However, she had similar problems last year when trying to lease an apartment, so she should have worked on it.
Obviously Alana had a lot going on last year, making it hard to fault her. With that said, she practically begs for someone to help her find an apartment in the video. She is not asking for anything for free, but the fact that she needs a place for her dog and Dralin’s criminal history makes it really difficult.
Those two factors are also the root of Alana’s problems. Without Dralin or the dog, she could live in on-campus housing and use scholarships or student loans to pay for it.
There is also the fact that most of the apartments in a college town are run by large investment companies. These entities typically use third parties to approve tenants. Alana would likely have better luck if she could find an individual to rent from who may overlook her credit.
Although many people feel that Alana got herself into this situation, it is not a unique problem. People across the country are struggling to find affordable places to live. If someone like Alana cannot find a place to live, then what chance does an average person have?
