Andrea's Story — Why I Built Roof Over My Heart

I never set out to start a nonprofit. I set out to build a home.

What happened to me is what happens to thousands of California families every year. A licensed contractor. Glowing reviews. A signed contract. A hard realization that added up to more than anyone should have to lose. Then came the delays, the missed deadlines, and the slow realization that the home I was promised wasn't coming. The complaint process was supposed to protect me. Instead, I learned how hard it is for ordinary families to navigate a system this complex.

That's when I started showing up, not because I had answers, but because no one should have to go through it alone. Alongside other advocates, I've supported the passage of two West Sacramento ordinances, one legalizing tiny homes and one establishing proportional impact fees that make alternative housing more financially accessible. Along the way, I've found a community of hundreds of fraud victims helping each other through the same systems I was trying to figure out. Roof Over My Heart grew out of that work.

Every day is a daily reminder that housing doesn't have to look like what the industry tells us it does, and that the solutions to California's housing crisis are already here if we're willing to support them.

Your donation supports ROMH's C.A.R.E. framework:

- Consult - strategic guidance for families and organizations navigating housing challenges

- Advocate - issue advocacy and public education that support systems change

- Research - evidence-based analysis that informs better housing solutions

- Educate - accessible learning that empowers communities before and after problems arise.

Whether you can give $10 or $100, every gift makes a difference. Small donations count just as much for BDOG prize challenges as large ones, and every donation reassures this community that we're not doing this alone.

Thank you for standing with us, from the bottom of our hearts.

Andrea Montano