Nakeeta Wills pieces together what she can to afford staying in New York City .

A health insurance advisor, Wills relies on a local garden and food pantries to help pay for groceries . Grandparents and “loving aunties” help pay for her 10-year-old son playing violin. Wills took out student loans for a master’s program in business and owes at least $100,000.

Her rent is somewhat reasonable — by New York standards. She pays $1,300 per month for an apartment in Central Harlem, but her son is getting older and bigger. She thinks she’ll need more amenities as she ages too, like a doorman or perhaps an elevator.

Wills checks the city’s affordable housing portal every day, but she doesn’t qualify for many of the units on the site — even though the high cost of living in Manhattan feels o

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