What began as a hopeful fresh start for an Ohio mother quickly turned into a stressful and unsanitary ordeal—one involving an unexpected and unwelcome roommate.

Just weeks after moving into her apartment in Cincinnati’s Westwood neighborhood, Alexus Hubbard says her home has been repeatedly invaded by a raccoon, leaving behind messes and raising serious concerns for her family’s health. The troubling situation, first reported by WXIX, has left Hubbard feeling trapped between an ongoing pest problem and uncertainty about her housing.

Hubbard said the first signs of trouble appeared on Feb. 20, when she began hearing strange noises coming from the ceiling of her apartment. Initially unsure what was causing the sounds, she reported the issue to her landlord. At the time, the building was in the process of changing ownership.

But the mystery was soon solved—and not in the way she hoped.

On March 1, Hubbard said she captured video of a raccoon entering her apartment through a hole in the wall inside a kitchen cupboard. Since then, she says the animal has been coming and going almost daily.

According to Hubbard, the raccoon has left destruction in its wake, dragging garbage into the apartment from outside and other nearby homes. Even worse, she said the animal has defecated and urinated inside the living room and kitchen, creating what she fears could be dangerous conditions.

Those concerns are especially serious because of her young son.

Hubbard explained that her son has cerebral palsy and relies on crawling to move around their home. Because of the mess left behind by the raccoon, she says he cannot safely use the floor.

“He can’t walk,” Hubbard told reporters. “His main method of transportation is crawling. He is not able to go around his own house at all because it’s unsafe for him.”

The apartment building was reportedly purchased by Savin Holdings LLC in late February, just days before Hubbard formally reported the raccoon problem. After notifying the new owner, Hubbard said the landlord eventually brought a trap to capture the animal.

But the situation soon became even more complicated.

Hubbard said the landlord informed her that the property would no longer participate in the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program, which helps cover a portion of her rent. According to Hubbard, she was asked whether she would pay the full rent amount or look for housing elsewhere.

When the landlord returned with the raccoon trap, Hubbard said he also delivered a notice stating she must vacate the apartment by April 30 or face eviction.

For Hubbard, the sudden developments have been overwhelming. She said she believed signing the lease meant she had finally found a safe and stable home for her family.

“Coming here and signing a lease, I felt that we had finally found some peace,” she said. “Now it feels like the rug has been pulled out from under me.”

Meanwhile, wildlife officials note that raccoons trapped in Ohio must either be released on the same property or humanely euthanized, according to guidance from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.

As Hubbard waits to see whether the raccoon is caught—and what happens with her housing situation—she says she is simply hoping for a safe place where her family can finally feel at home.