Stephanie Land—the author and narrator of Maid—describes the state of financial desperation in which she finds herself after fleeing an abusive partner. She moves to an emergency homeless shelter where her baby daughter Mia learns to walk. The shelter is a cabin on the edge of town and they are only allowed to stay for 90 days before moving to transitional housing. Stephanie attempts to make the cabin a home as much as possible, placing a bright yellow sheet over the drab couch, and hanging a wall calendar with her many social services appointments.

Transitional housing comes with a set of strict rules and guidelines to which residents must absolutely adhere. Stephanie’s caseworker, Julie, explains she will be subjected to random urine analysis tests, random inspections of her apartment’s cleanliness and living conditions, and a ten-p.m. curfew. All changes in income must be immediately reported, which is a challenge for Stephanie whose income as a freelance landscaping worker is often unpredictable.

When Stephanie moves from the cabin to the transitional housing facility—a dreary apartment complex filled with others in unfortunate situations—Stephanie’s mother asks her boyfriend William to assist with the move.