Father of Four Lost His Job After Living in an Empty School Storeroom

Timothy Walters turned an unused fourth-floor storeroom at a middle school in Albany, New York, into a makeshift apartment and lived there for more than six months. The 36-year-old custodian also brought his four children to the school during weekends when he had visitation and caregiving rights.

The room contained folding beds, a sofa, old furniture and a mini refrigerator. Walters began using the space in October after years of disuse. School officials discovered the arrangement in late April while reviewing surveillance footage during an investigation into another custodian’s allegedly false overtime claims. The footage showed Walters at the school almost every night.

Walters said he could not afford rent for a separate home after paying child support and covering everyday expenses. His annual salary, including overtime, was about $80,000. Before moving into the school, he had lived with his sister and her boyfriend, but said they needed room to deal with their own affairs.

“I knew I was doing something wrong, but I didn’t know what else to do. When you’re at the end of your rope, sometimes you make choices you shouldn’t,” Walters said. The school district suspended him in May, and he resigned on June 23 after working there for 17 years. Police initially considered charges related to unlawful entry, but later withdrew them.

Walters is now temporarily living with his uncle and applying for housing assistance. He said two companies have offered him jobs, while relatives have started a GoFundMe campaign to help him and his children find stable housing.

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I knew I was doing something wrong, but I didn’t know what else to do. When you’re at the end of your rope, sometimes you make choices you shouldn’t.