Finally Approved!

In a time when our neighbors are concerned about their jobs and the economy, many who were planning to move have chosen to stay put in their present homes and apartments. This has compounded an already tough challenge for the Families Together team in finding affordable housing for homeless families.  After several months of a downward turn in housing, July turned out to be an answer to the prayers of seven families who moved from homelessness to home with Families Together support.

One divorced mother had been homeless for nine months.  She was at a local shelter but when COVID-19 caused the shelters to social distance, she was placed in a hotel for three months which brought on anxiety and depression. During this time, she was denied leases to three apartments due to previous evictions, a pending traffic charge that she could not resolve because the courts were closed, and her low credit score. The mother called the Families Together Housing Navigator desperate to find a place as her ex-husband drove from New Jersey and dropped off her three other children at the shelter to spend the summer with her. Now she was homeless trying to provide for four kids and sharing a room with another family. Karen, our Housing Navigator who is an expert in managing challenging situations like this one, reached out to a property owner who just had a unit come available. She shared the mom’s story, explained the stabilization services FT provides for up to a hear after a family’s lease signing, and he approved the mom for the house on the same day. The client was overcome with joy stating, “I had prayed. Leaving a bad marriage and trying to start over is hard but knew my life had to change. I have been through so much.” This is a testament that perseverance pays off. Regardless how long the trial when we come together as a community, things will get better.