Whitley D. English has spent her entire life in Asheville, North Carolina. It’s where she grew up, worked and raised her two children. It’s also where she survived the most traumatic experience of her life: intimate partner violence. 

She was left with two black eyes, multiple facial fractures, a missing tooth and a hospital stay. “I was left with a long road to recovery and justice,” she said.  

When the property tax bill arrives, it is more than just a number. For some residents, that envelope signals the start of impossible choices: food or housing? Medication or mortgage?