it would be 30 to 45 days before shannita knows if she qualifies for food stamps. but she already depends on other public aid to get by. while she and her husband are currently without health-care coverage, her children are all on medicaid. and the family lives in a heavily subsidized four bedroom public housing apartment. shannita has to pony up only $200 a month but the we can we followed her she wasn't able to put any rent money aside. >> is it hard having 7 people under one roof. >> it's very hard. it's on a day-to-day basis sometimes you step on each other toast and you know, but as a family, we learn to unite and we learn how to struggle together because at the end of the day, this is about these three children. we don't let them experience poverty. we don't let them see mommy, can i go on my field trip. mommy, can i shall did -- you know, can we celebrate halloween. >> you said that you wanted to keep your children from witnesses poverty. but you live at a really tough neighborhood. >> yes, i do. >> the brooklyn neighborhood of brownsville where shannita and