Leland Brown Jr. and his partner have been kicked out after going viral with videos of their experience living in a storage unit as a home and documenting their efforts to find a place to call home.
In one of the videos, the Philadelphia couple showcased a unique setup in the storage facility in Hatfield, Pennsylvania. The living area included outlets, a couch, and other furniture. Brown also revealed to his followers that the climate-controlled structure has bathrooms.
He planned to remain in the storage unit until they could purchase a house using the money he earned from his hotel work, he said. The storage facility appeared to be an improvement over the tent they were previously residing in, which was wet and covered in snow, as seen in earlier video clips.
He said on TikTok, “Me and my baby will live here as long as we need to until we can get the shelter that we want. Because we’re living here, now we can save up more money to get what we really want. We’re in it for the long haul.”
His clips garnered over 11 million views and it unfavorably caught the attention of the building management, which took action against the pair.
In a new video, once again homeless, Brown posted, “So we got kicked out of our storage unit. The higher-ups found out about my video, and went so viral we ended up getting kicked out. Now we’re just trying to figure out where to go and what we’re going to do with all of our stuff.”
When it became apparent that Brown and his companion had few options left, a kind stranger made hotel accommodations for them to stay in.
In an update to his concerned followers, Brown shared, “We’ll be staying at this hotel for a couple days for free. I’m just grateful that somebody is thinking of us like that on that level and willing to give us their resources like that. We’re gonna have a good time and relax for once.”
Through their GoFundMe page, he and his girlfriend have raised over $2,700 of their $10,000 target in donations.
In his own words, Brown set up the page “to create a brighter future for my 7-year-old son, who is currently living with his mom, who is also struggling to make ends meet without my assistance.”
Despite their difficult situation, he clarified that he is trying his hardest to give himself and his family stability.
Most of the time, his followers—some of whom have even found themselves in a similar predicament to him—comment with worries, pieces of advice, and encouragement.
