Northeast
High rent forces mom of two to move family into hotel: 'Hope and joy is not paying my bills'
High rent costs and living expenses have forced a Connecticut mother of two to move her family from an apartment into a hotel, adding to the list of unconventional living situations America’s working class has been compelled to take on to make ends meet.
Her story comes as Democrats, including party Chair Jaime Harrison, sell a message of “hope and joy” as VP Kamala Harris takes the reins for the 2024 nomination, “Fox & Friends First” host Todd Piro noted.
“Hope and joy is not paying my bills,” Suzanne Hayes told Piro when asked about the DNC’s message to voters.
While not venturing deeper into politics, she continued by saying, “I’m really just kind of focused on myself and my family and I hope that whoever is elected can make some real change in both the economy at large and this housing crisis for people like me.”
BUYING A HOUSE JUST GOT MORE EXPENSIVE FOR AMERICANS
Suzanne Hayes said high rent costs forced her to move her family into a hotel. (Fox & Friends First)
Hayes leans heavily on prayer, gratitude and faith, adding that she is lucky to have a family who can help.
Despite it all, she said “the struggle is real.”
Her search for a new place to live began when she had 30 days to move out of her old apartment, which had a set rate of $1,700 a month. When it came time to look for a new place, she was in for a shock.
“I did my due diligence and I looked in all local towns and didn’t want to give up hope that I would find a space, for me and my kids to live that was convenient. I just had no luck. It was not possible,” she said.
“I was faced with the reality that rents had skyrocketed since I was last in the market, and I was looking at homes that were two bedrooms, which is one less than I was accustomed to living in, and they were $1,000 more a month, and I quickly realized that that was unrealistic for me,” she added later.
Inflation has hit families hard in recent years, with Hayes’ being no exception. She says rent expenses are different than expenses like groceries and clothing, however, because money can be stretched a little further with the latter.
MILLENNIALS LAMENT BEING UNABLE TO AFFORD HOMES, PAY RENT: ‘THIS IS INSANE’
High rent costs have affected many Americans in recent years, forcing some to turn to other living situations, including roommates or even living in vans. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
“When it comes to housing being $1,000 more a month, there’s just nothing that can be done,” she explained.
Pushed to the point of potentially moving in with her parents, she weighed her options and began making calls to local hotels, where she eventually found a more affordable solution to her problem. She told Fox News she considers her current living situation to be a “blessing.”
“I kind of pulled out all stops and emailed local hotels and found this place, and it ended up being a great, huge blessing for me and my kids.”
High rent costs and little hope of compiling enough money to afford a home has left many Americans, especially younger generations, opting for alternative living situations.
‘RENT IS TOO DAMN HIGH’: ROSEN PANNED FOR BIDEN-ALIGNED VOTES, HIGH HOUSING COSTS
Some millennials, including TikToker Michael Alberse, have chosen to live in vans for at least some time to accumulate money to go toward their homeownership dreams.
“I’m seeing this become wildly popular because they’re getting rid of that $2,000 rent burden, and they’re able to use that money to save for a down payment. Because the bigger the down payment, the less income you need to qualify,” Orlando-based realtor and TikToker Freddie Smith said.
But the problem has also impacted the elderly in some ways, leaving a number of them to open their homes to non-relatives to help those looking for smaller living expenses in the new “Boommate” trend.
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New York
In First Campaign Ad, Schlossberg Leans on a Well-Known Name: Pelosi
Jack Schlossberg, the grandson of John F. Kennedy, has built his campaign for a New York City House seat around turning the page on the Democrats’ old guard.
Yet when he debuts his first paid advertisement on Wednesday, the 33-year-old candidate has chosen his party’s oldest living leader, Representative Nancy Pelosi of California, to do the talking.
The choice reflects the unique challenge Mr. Schlossberg faces ahead of a marquee June primary against more seasoned rivals. He may have star power and youth, but he is still trying to persuade aging voters who form the Democratic base that he is serious and experienced enough to represent a storied Manhattan district — home to corporate chieftains, media empires and cultural meccas.
The 30-second ad, which was shared first with The New York Times, uses Ms. Pelosi, a former House speaker, to make his case. In it, the congresswoman, 86, speaks directly to the camera to say that Mr. Schlossberg has “a deep sense of duty” and the kind of energy that could help propel Democrats back to power nationally.
“This moment calls for leaders who understand the stakes and how to deliver for the people they serve,” she says, sometimes over clips of him campaigning. “Jack Schlossberg is that kind of leader.”
Mr. Schlossberg is among the first candidates in New York’s 12th District to start spending on paid media. But a handful of super PACs funded by competing A.I. companies and former Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg have already burned through millions of dollars trying to sway voters toward or away from his rivals.
Mr. Schlossberg’s outlay will be relatively modest in comparison. The campaign said it would initially spend $70,000 on digital platforms, and eventually add more digital spending and $250,000 in broadcast TV time — a relatively small sum in the nation’s most expensive media market.
Mr. Schlossberg, who has reported inherited assets between $10 million and $32 million, said he would not be spending any of his own money in the race. He does not have a super PAC behind him.
While there has been no real public polling to date, private polls released by several of Mr. Schlossberg’s rivals have all narrowly put him in the lead.
With two months left until Primary Day, two state assemblymen — Alex Bores and Micah Lasher — are not far behind; followed by George Conway, a former Republican turned high-profile antagonist of President Trump, and Nina Schwalbe, a public health expert. Because the seat is safely Democratic, the primary winner will almost certainly win the general election to replace Representative Jerrold Nadler, who is retiring.
Mr. Schlossberg, earlier known for a head-turning social media presence, has largely tried to portray his opponents as old-fashioned, risk-averse establishment figures who have not been able to check Mr. Trump. They, in turn, have raised doubts about the thinness of his résumé, which includes no long-term traditional work experience, elected or otherwise.
In an interview, Mr. Schlossberg said it was an obvious choice to turn to Ms. Pelosi, who is perhaps her party’s most respected elder stateswoman.
“Speaker Pelosi is the backbone of our party,” he said. “She most importantly understands better than anyone how the House of Representatives works and what the Democratic Party needs right now.”
Yet embracing Ms. Pelosi may also have its costs, complicating Mr. Schlossberg’s attempts to position himself as an outsider and a fresh face by reminding voters of his family’s deep ties to the Democratic establishment.
Mr. Schlossberg said he believes he first met Ms. Pelosi when he was in high school. Alongside his family, he presented her with the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award in 2019.
The candidate said Ms. Pelosi asked to meet with him in her Washington office before she endorsed his campaign in February.
“I printed out all my plans I have for the district and the country,” he said. “She read them over and quizzed me.”
An earlier version of the ad shared with The Times included footage of Mr. Schlossberg and Ms. Pelosi spending time with his mother, the former ambassador Caroline Kennedy, and his niece, the daughter of his sister Tatiana Schlossberg. (Ms. Schlossberg, who was an environmental journalist, died in December after a fight with blood cancer that she chronicled in a widely read essay.) That footage was cut from the final ad before it was distributed.
In the interview, Mr. Schlossberg said he exempted Ms. Pelosi from his critique of this party’s aging officials — and argued voters would, too.
“I put her in a category of her own,” he said. “She has magic that doesn’t age. It wins.”
Boston, MA
Fancy Hats Can Be Cool
News
Ellie Ayati-Jian and Jaine Davies, two Greater Boston milliners, are raising the brim—and the bar.
Pretty in pink, blue, and yellow and festooned with ribbon, feathers, and a bold flower, this fascinator was created by Ellie Jian Millinery. / Photo by Steph Larsen / Styling by Abby Brenc for Anchor Artists
At spring events like the Kentucky Derby and Boston’s own “hat luncheon,” the Emerald Necklace Conservancy’s annual Party in the Park, hats have long shaped the conversation—an expected flourish of brim and bloom marking the start of the season. In recent years, however, the role of the hat has evolved, from celebratory flourish to considered craft.
Leading that charge locally is Ellie Jian Millinery, the Newton studio founded by Ellie Ayati-Jian. Trained in architecture and interior design, Ayati-Jian brings a structural sensibility to her work, approaching millinery less as ornament and more as wearable design. Her hats—ranging from floral fascinators to structured couture pieces—are engineered with intention, balancing form, proportion, and comfort. “What drew me in was the energy and sense of community around derby events,” Ayati-Jian says. “They bring together fashion, tradition, and celebration in a very social way.” That social element remains central to her work: She’s a familiar presence at Boston events, often modeling her own designs to show how even bold headpieces can feel approachable.
This Ellie Jian Millinery pink fascinator is anchored by deep blue handmade flower. / Photo by Steph Larsen / Styling by Abby Brenc for Anchor Artists
Ayati-Jian’s creative process begins not with sketching, but with research—architecture, art, fashion history, or a client’s personal story—until a concept emerges. She often spends days gathering visual references before touching a single material, allowing a narrative to emerge before form takes shape. From there, she shapes and refines her hats by hand.
Ayati-Jian says toppers incorporating clean shapes, softer brims, and sculptural forms are now trending—which, given the city’s fashion predilections, is a big advantage. “Boston style is generally more conservative, and I think that works beautifully with this direction,” she says. “Bostonians appreciate quality, craftsmanship, and timeless design.”
The “Monaco” by IndigoHats is made of silk with a peacock feather. / Photo courtesy of Jaine Davies/IndigoHats
She’s not the only one taking advantage of the recent hat craze. Raised in England near a major horse race, Jaine Davies, whose millinery studio, IndigoHats, is based on the South Shore, grew up immersed in a culture where hats signaled occasion. Her ideas often begin in a small notebook she carries everywhere, filled with details spotted at museum exhibitions and in historical garments. “Couture runway shows are really important to study,” says Davies, who observes the season’s designer dresses closely, translating their colors, embroidery, and silhouettes into hats ready for her studio. She handblocks each piece on traditional wooden forms and sews every hat by hand, pairing time-honored techniques with an adventurous use of materials. Alongside classic straws, Davies works with Dupioni silks, richly patterned textiles, beadwork, and meticulously crafted feather flowers designed to be as light as they are dramatic.
For Davies, drama and discipline go hand in hand. “I want to wow from a distance and impress close up with how well made they are,” she says. Indeed, her hats accomplish exactly that.
The shop’s “Aster” is a pillbox style with quills and sophisticated veiling. / Photo courtesy of Jaine Davies/IndigoHats
This article was first published in the print edition of the April 2026 issue, with the headline,“Head First.”
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