Anita chestnut embraces her daughter Nikki at her and her partner Devin's home on oct. 30 in la crosse. "We very much put a lot of importance on our mental health as well as our children's mental health," chestnut said.
CADEN PERRY
OVERCOMING HOMELESSNESS
While Devin Chestnut put up a good defense, his 1-year old daughter, Nikki, was relentless in unplugging the fan fixed into their living room window.
It was a short-lived game as the humid October day made the Chesnut's small duplex unit hard to keep cool. Too smart for her own good, Nikki got placed into her playpen.
Devin and his wife, Anita Chestnut, moved into this one-bedroom unit on the North Side of La Crosse two years ago after leaving an efficiency-sized unit closer to downtown.
Anita and Devin are both still adjusting to having housing after overcoming homelessness and addiction for several years. In 2018, Catholic Charities helped them secure their first home together by paying the security deposit on the efficiency once Devin landed a job at Festival Foods.
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Already cramped with one kid, Anita's second pregnancy in 2022 meant they needed more space fast. Finding a place quickly, the two jumped into their North Side unit. However, they started finding concentrations for lead in Jessie and Nikki's lab work.
After a long battle to get into housing, the Chestnuts are at risk of being out on the streets again with a third kid on the way.
Connecting through the streets
Anita was left homeless several years ago after leaving the hospital and having nowhere to go. She had attempted suicide at her ex-boyfriend's apartment in Tomah and was rushed to La Crosse to be cared for.
When her stay was over, her family didn't take her back in. Shortly after taking to the streets, her phone was stolen and she found herself cut off from most of her family entirely.
Devin, on the other hand, is a La Crosse native. His struggles began after high school when he started taking meth, following suit from his parents. When his father moved the family to Onalaska in 2012, domestic situations happened more often and Devin left.
In 2018, Anita briefly had an apartment through Couleecap and Devin was staying with his mom for a stint. When Devin and his mom had to relocate suddenly, a mutual friend connected Devin to Anita and her place.
"When we were homeless, it was a lot easier for people to be homeless back then. There was more services like more warming centers, the Hospitality House," Devin said. "The town needs that again."
Anita stood out in the homeless community as an impromptu nurse. She learned basic medical kit training and how to diagnose injuries, addiction symptoms and some mental health conditions.
This help earned them many friends and respect that would help them out when they ended up back on the streets later on.
'Everything melted away'
When Anita found out she was pregnant with her first child in February 2020, Devin and her were staying at the Salvation Army's temporary shelter. As the COVID-19 pandemic revealed itself a few months later, the two left the shelter as Anita's pregnancy left her immuno-compromised.
Anita struggled staying sober while pregnant. On nights that she had no shelter to sleep in, she would use to stay alert and keep active at night. She added it was never a lot, just enough to keep on moving.
"I was judged heavily for that, but it's - I had to do it. I had to to survive," Anita said.
Pleading with a friend over Anita's pregnancy, a friend let them stay at their apartment while the pregnancy continued. She was able to stay long enough to give birth while in shelter at her friend's place.
On Sept. 28, 2020, Jessie Skotti-Kolo Chestnut was born.
"I looked down at her, and everything melted away. My cravings, my want to be onto the streets- gone," Anita said.
Jessie's middle name, Kolo, is in homage to a bike part company. While living on the streets, Devin would work on bikes for quick cash and both Chestnuts built an affinity for the Kolo brand.
With Anita's continued substance use, Jessie was born with trace amounts of meth in her system. This triggered a Child Protective Services review that had Anita go through substance treatment.
Anita chose a residential treatment solution in La Crosse's Ophelia House program. After finishing at Ophelia House, Anita found an apartment with the help of Couleecap and has been totally sober since.
With two young kids, she's been maintaining the household as a stay-at-home mom for the past four years.
Finding reason to celebrate
In December 2021, Devin and Anita were well on the way with raising Jessie and decided to take the next step toward marriage.
"I got up to get ready for work one morning, and I told her, 'You know what, go ahead. Call the courthouse, pick a date, let me know.' Five hours later, I'm at work, and I get a text from her, and she goes, 'Oh yeah, by the way, we're getting married in two weeks,'" Devin laughed.
They picked up their license on Dec. 7 and were married Dec. 13 just as Anita had planned.
Anita's mom rushed to get her a dress, shoes and a handmade bouquet for the ceremony. Devin's best friend, Jake, had also just gotten sober. Devin used to use drugs with Jake and his brother before Jake moved to Viroqua and became a recovery coach.
"After I found out they were sober, you know, I'm like, 'Alright, yeah, you be my best man at my wedding,'" Devin smiled.
Devin booked a room at The Charmant to celebrate the occasion. He had previously worked at the Home2Suites, which had the same hotel owner.
When word came down the line that Devin was getting married and staying at The Charmant, some friends pulled some strings to upgrade their room to one of the hotel's top suites.
Anita and Devin said it was the happiest day of their lives. Finding a good reason to celebrate a new life together was essential to keeping their momentum in sobriety and finding their own housing.
Current struggles
On a stormy night in late December, Devin scanned the aisles of Festival Foods, trying to wrap up his evening shift.
As customers leave his side, he somberly said the lead struggles in their duplex unit have escalated. After their complaints mounted, their landlord told them their lease wouldn't be renewed. The Chestnuts have until Feb. 26 to find a new place for the four of them.
"I think we'll split for a bit and she'll take the two kids to stay with her mom. I'll just try and find a cheap tiny apartment around here while we figure out what to do next," Devin said.
Their home was built in the 1940s and has lead paint outside and inside the house. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates 69% of homes built between 1940 and 1959 have lead paint, typically hidden under newer layers of paint.
They've been working with a lawyer to find some form of correction, but it won't be enough to save their shelter in time. Legal Action of Wisconsin built their case pro bono and they're waiting on another lawyer to finish it in court.
La Crosse County social service departments often refer residents in legal strife to free firms like Legal Action of Wisconsin, Legal Clinic or the Family Law Center.
"If the health hazards were fixed, I'd have no problem staying here. Okay, okay, but the rental company is basically outright retaliating and punishing us for getting the county involved to protect our children," Anita said.
Pediatricians told the Chestnuts to feed Nikki drinks with Pediasure so she can gain weight that has been stalled by lead exposure. Their older child, Jessie, did not have the same weight problems in their past housing.
Anita set up a GoFundMe to find them a new place. They're hoping to secure enough funds for a new security deposit, first month's rent and moving costs. The donation page can be found at www.gofundme.com/f/ help-this-family-escape-leadcontaminated-home.
"We just need a landlord to understand our situation and work with us," Devin said.
In the meantime, Devin has been looking to add more hours to his shifts or a second part-time job to make up the gap in rising rent costs across La Crosse.
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