Sister Turns Back On Irresponsible Brother By Refusing To Accommodate Him Despite His Looming Homelessness

“He brought this upon himself.”

Jesse

• Published in Interesting
• February 11, 2024

When it comes to city living, the housing market can sometimes feel like a battleground. However, our resilient narrator (Original Poster) managed to secure her slice of sanctuary—a spacious apartment nestled in a coveted neighborhood, and it sure didn’t come cheap.

Her brother, on the other hand, wasn’t so lucky. At 36, he was still living with her parents—and he had three months left before getting kicked out. 

Her brother’s situation wasn’t entirely his fault in the beginning. The job market had been unkind to him as he’d been in and out of work for the past six months—and this was right after a two-year stint of total unemployment.

His eviction was looming closer, but despite all these, OP didn’t want him in her home, and she had some pretty good reasons too. Her brother had somehow managed to stack up a colossal debt, which even led to his car being taken away.

His parents extended an olive branch, but all he did was steal from them. And not even peanuts too, a staggering $37k—none of which were spent towards lessening his debt. 

Family was family, so they worked on rebuilding trust and helped him along the way. He had a well-paying job now, but his dreadful ways spiraled out of control. He stole whatever he could get his hands on, spent recklessly, and destroyed property. He even tried to swipe OP’s meds once. 

The clock was ticking on his three-month extension, but he remained nonchalant about finding a house. OP sure as heck wasn’t accommodating him. Would it be her fault if he ended up homeless?

The story in detail

A bit of background

No one in the family trusts OP’s brother due to his reckless lifestyle

OP’s brother now has a job, but he can’t help stealing from the rest of the family

OP’s brother will be kicked out in a few months time, and she’s not willing to take him in with such a lifestyle

We gathered some comments from Netizens:

“NTA. I would suggest telling him now that you aren't a fallback option.”

“NTA. He is a working adult and can figure his own living arrangements out. Away from you and your parents.“

“He needs to be an adult and prioritize housing and other necessities instead of ‘wants’…”

“There isn’t a problem with the jobs, there’s a problem with your brother.”

“NTA at all, do not let him come and live with you at all. He's your parents' problem to deal with or, quite frankly.”

“He has a job and has three months. He could find a shared housing situation that he could afford, if he tried.”

Redditors absolved OP of any blame and agreed it was time for some tough love. It's evident that enabling his behavior only perpetuated his cycle of irresponsibility—time to learn that actions have consequences. 

Letting him hit rock bottom might just be the push he needs to stand on his own two feet. The advice? Set clear boundaries and withhold financial support until he rights his wrongs. The wake-up call begins now.

What do you think about this story? Let us know in the comments.

Jesse