Brick Hostel

I lived here for a year, and the experience took a serious toll on my mental health. The manager seemed immature and much more focused on making money than keeping the place pleasant for residents, especially people staying long term. I'm autistic, though I only got the diagnosis more recently. I usually did my own thing rather than trying to socialize all the time, and I was systematic about cleanliness and organization, so I would call others out about it. Most people there smoked, used drugs, and drank, so I didn't join in much. I was labeled difficult for being independent and not constantly flattering people or joining in the parties and interactions. When I needed time alone, people repeatedly called me weird in a derogatory way. That didn't justify how I was treated. I was judged and became even more isolated, with the owner's support. One resident who was a friend and confidante of the owner called me bipolar in a contemptuous, mocking way because sometimes I was more active and at other times more withdrawn. She also picked on me for occasionally forgetting a small item, like a debit card left on a counter, and it became something people held against me. The owner knew about this. Because I'm autistic, it took me a while to understand how violent the behavior and approach were. These are things that can't simply be changed, since autism has no cure. It became especially painful when I found myself pregnant by someone I'd had a brief, unhappy relationship with. His behavior was extremely narcissistic and abusive. Even now, he alters evidence and files cases to hurt me. He has even filed asking for my phones to be seized. Women won't be safe there. I felt completely trapped. After a lot of therapy and a better understanding of my diagnosis, I can see how much retaliation and psychological, moral, and social violence I went through, pregnant and alone in the city in an entirely toxic environment. The stress also caused me to develop alopecia areata, and the damage can often be irreversible. I believe the place should compensate me for the severe harm I still carry. If I owned a shared living space, I'd never behave this way or allow it. When residents retaliate against someone, the right thing would be to ask them to leave, instead of keeping someone in a psychologically unhealthy environment and making money from their stay.