Mom Discovers Someone Living Under Her House, So She Decides to Take Action

A mom recently took to social media to share her surprise when she discovered that someone was living underneath her house.

Heather Lagaso was getting ready to leave her home in Woodburn, Oregon, for a golf tournament when she noticed the hatch underneath her home was unusually clear of cobwebs.

“I opened the door and immediately saw someone’s belongings,” Lagaso told Newsweek. “I decided to leave a note with a small pouch full of hand sanitizer, Band Aids and other similar items, some cash and a list of resources that might be useful for them. In the note I explained that the area under my house wasn’t safe and they couldn’t stay there.”

In a now viral Reddit post, titled “Someone’s been living under my house,” Lagaso (springchikun) shared photos of the hatch door and what she found inside—a sleeping bag and pillows. The Reddit post so far has 67,000 upvotes and 3,700 comments.

Lagaso, 44, who is a cemetery preservationist, local historian and social worker, lives in the American Foursquare-style home with her husband of 16 years Nick and her two sons, 12-year-old Max and 29-year-old Jordin.

In a video shared to YouTube earlier this week, Lagaso opens the hatch and shows viewers the person’s belongings inside. “I gave them literally the last of my cash,” she says in the video. “It can be scary, right? Like, oh, gosh, somebody is living under my house, but it’s still a human.”

Lagaso then left for her golf tournament on September 21 and returned on the following Monday when she found that the items were still there.

“I pulled their stuff out, put it in waterproof bags and left another note, with more cash. This note basically said that they were not in trouble and that if they knocked on my door I’d be happy to help them in any way I could,” she said.

Within two hours of leaving the note, she received a knock on her door and was greeted by a 49-year-old woman who explained that she had been experiencing homelessness for about three years.

Statista reported earlier this month that there were around 653,104 homeless people in the United States in 2023. It is the highest number in the last 10 years, up from 582,462 homeless people in the country in 2022.

Last year, California was the state with the highest number of homeless people, followed by New York and Florida. However, the places with the highest rates of homelessness in relation to their populations were District of Columbia, New York, Vermont, and Oregon.

People who inhabit a piece or land or building without the legal right to live there are defined as squatters by the American Apartment Owners Association (AAOA). In a number of states, squatters are granted tenant rights after just 30 days of staying in a property they initially had no right to.

Disputes around housing, including issues around squatters, are at the forefront of a number of debates in many states. A new bill in New Hampshire aims to ensure that squatters can be removed from properties.

Meanwhile in New York, the issue of squatters has been under heavy scrutiny with many calling the state’s laws too lenient, while Eviction Lab spokesperson Camila Vallejo said this heated debate might be the result of “fearmongering”.

“I talked with her for a while, called a friend at the department of human services, and took my ‘guest’ to my friend so that she could receive more focused help. Before I left her, she apologized for not asking permission to sleep under my home,” Lagaso said.

She added: “She said she had only slept there a few times in the previous months, and primarily was just storing her things. She first gained access years ago, before we moved in. I hope that she’s given the support she needs to get back on her feet. As I said in the Reddit thread – We’re all just a few missed pay checks away from being there.”

Reddit Users React

Many Reddit users were fascinated by the story with some finding it relatable.

User Buzzothefuzzo wrote: “I’ve been there!! I squatted under a house that was under construction and unoccupied for about 13 months. Wasn’t too bad. Was at least dry and about 15° warmer than outside temps. Now I have to crawl into crawlspaces daily for a living and think about that every damn time.”

Evandemic posted: “These days I see these stories and just wonder about the desperation it takes to hide in holes under the ground like an animal. Pray for us all. We are damned.”

Keji70gsm simply added: “That’s horribly sad.”

Has your home ever turned into a nightmare? Whether it’s a burst pipe, unexpected renovations gone wrong, or any other house disaster, we want to hear your story. Let us know via life@newsweek.com, and your experience could be featured on Newsweek.