Seattle mom of 9 seeks help relocating family after landlord reclaims home
A Seattle mother of nine is seeking community support, facing a major housing roadblock following the adoption of her five nieces and nephews.
The backstory:
Melody Clay officially adopted her five nieces and nephews back in May 2025, keeping them together after they were separated by what she calls a broken foster care system. Clay, who was already a mother of four, is now a mother of nine with seven children under 18 currently living under her roof.
"When I look at them, that's what keeps me going. I'm like, they depend on me, I don't have the option of failing," Clay said.
FOX 13's Sabirah Rayford with Melody Clay's family.
The children had originally entered foster care after being taken from Clay's brother during his struggle with drug addiction following the death of his oldest child to gun violence.
"Genuinely in my heart it was just like it's got to be done, and if that's the sacrifice that I got to make, to take care of my family and keep them together, then so be it," Clay said.
During the multi-year effort to reunite the family, Clay lost her mother, and the children's father died from health complications.
"I let them know, your children are going to be fine. They're with me, so you know they're going to be fine, you know," Clay said.
Dig deeper:
On Sept. 11, Clay received a text message from her landlord stating they would not be able to renew her lease on Oct. 1. The landlord needed to move back into the home from Bonney Lake due to high costs.
"They live out in Bonney Lake and they’re like, it's just way too high, it's not affordable, and they have to move back into their home," Clay said.
Clay searched for an affordable home for her family in Washington, but found prices too high. She got approved for a five-bedroom, three-bathroom house in Georgia, but remains at a standstill because the transmission in her car is out, making the move difficult.
"I don't have transportation because my Suburban, the transmission is out. I'm still at a standstill level," Clay said.
But she’s not giving up, working extra hours at her job and setting aside her pride to set up a GoFundMe.
"I have to continue to have faith and put my faith in God, honestly," Clay added regarding the relocation. "Because when you look at things, it doesn't look good. But, there's a saying that I say is let God cook. You know, I can't be in there trying to put my own seasonings in and put this in and do my own thing. I kind of just got to sit back and trust the process and do what I can do, of course, but trust the process."
What you can do:
Donations to help cover the cost of transportation during the move can be made online.
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The Source: Information in this story came from original FOX 13 Seattle reporting and interviews.