Resident Services - Success Stories

A Home of Her Own

Sandra Ceron, a single mother of two sons, knows first hand how it feels not to be able to afford housing in Washington DC. After moving to the United States nearly 20 years ago, Ms. Ceron was able to gain self-employment by working as a housekeeper. However, she was not able to afford the high cost of housing in the District. Therefore, in order to take care of herself and her children on her small salary, she was forced to cut back on basics like food and clothing.

Ms. Ceron and her two-year old son crammed into an efficiency unit (one room with a bathroom and a kitchen area) because that was all she could afford with her housekeeping salary. Two years later, Ms. Ceron gave birth to her second son. Although her income hadn't risen, Ms. Ceron knew she could not remain in the efficiency; she desperately needed a larger place to call home.

In 2000, Ms. Ceron along with her two sons, were still crammed in her efficiency. She recalls being asked to a tenants association meeting by a friend of the family to be an interpreter for the Spanish speaking residents at Meridian Manor in Washington, DC. At the meeting, Ms. Ceron was invited to participate with the residents concerning how the residents could purchase their building from their landlord.

NHT/Enterprise joined the residents' efforts to save the building. The residents, in partnership with NHT/Enterprise, successfully purchased the now newly renovated 34 unit, Section 8 cooperative. Sandra and her fellow residents now have the right to purchase shares in the new building so they can have a home of their own.

Today, Ms. Ceron is very active in the building's community. She was elected Vice President of the cooperative board and is a member for the ownership board.

A Second Chance at Life... "The Real World"

Hilbert Turner ,is a 57 year old African American who lives at Meridian Manor, a 34 apartment Section 8 cooperative in Washington, DC. Mr. Turner is a victim of alcoholism and drugs, and was an illiterate middle school drop out. He was constantly unemployed. By the time he entered his mid-50s, Mr. Turner thought his life was over. All he felt he had to do was to was, "maintain a roof over my head and keep prayer in my life."

"Now, I have a second chance at life and the real world." To Mr. Turner, the real world meant having a high school diploma or GED, becoming literate, having a decent paying job, opening checking and savings accounts, filing taxes and becoming a registered voter.

Mr. Turner moved into the Meridian Manor cooperative in 2002. One year later NHT/Enterprise hired a resident service coordinator to coordinate and facilitate resident service programs and activities onsite. "If it wasn't for the resident service coordinator working onsite, I don't think I could stand here today enjoying a second chance at life or the real world. Our resident services coordinator motivates and encourages us to believe we can do it. She preaches the 'hand-up not hand-out' to us."

Today, Mr. Turner serves as a voting member on the cooperative ownership board and he actively serves on the various advisory committees administered by the resident services coordinator as well. Mr. Tuner is studying for his GED in the new computer center that is being built in the basement of the building. He also had the confidence to apply for better job which has allowed him to open a checking account to pay his rent and file tax returns. This year, for the first time in his life at age 57, Mr. Turner became a registered voter.

Not Letting Life Pass Him By

When people pass by Vincent Ross on the street, they see a handsome, 19 year old man with a nice smile on his face. They may not give the young man a second thought. They may not think that there is anything particularly special about Vincent.

However, Vincent is special. Vincent and his family resided at Friendship Court in Charlottesville, Virginia for all of his 19 years. After NHT/Enterprise purchased the property, Vincent urged NHT/Enterprise to establish GED classes on site so he and others could pursue high school graduation. Within months, GED classes were established. According to Vincent, "I had no excuse but to enroll in the GED class. If the GED program had not come to Friendship Court, I would be like the rest of the bad influences in the community-just letting life pass by."

Vincent successfully completed the GED class and went on to pass the GED standard test. Vincent now has his GED; a job; his own apartment; and is enrolled in an art school to explore his love of art and design.

A Matter of Determination

Ebony Thomas is 20 years old. She resided at Parkway Overlook Apartments in Southeast DC all of her life until NHT/Enterprise became involved with the property. Her mother lived at Parkway for 29 years. Their annual household income is less than $20,000/year.

Ebony did not graduate from high school. She plans to take a GED class and receive her GED. In the mean time, NHT/Enterprise's Resident Service Program introduced Ebony to the GENESIS/CVS job training program. Under the program, CVS agreed with NHT/Enterprise to provide job training for at least 10 Parkway residents. The model of the program was simple: CVS would provide training and NHT/Enterprise would provide the prospective employees. "I have never had a job before and I was so scared to attend the training. Everyday, I would think of excuses not to go." After six weeks of training, Ebony successfully completed the training and demonstrated she had the qualities to be employed by CVS.

Ebony graduated from GENESIS/CVS' job training program and received full time employment with the local CVS Pharmacy. "Now that I have a foot in the door, I'm determined not to stop there." After six months on the job, Ms. Thomas was promoted to Assistant Manager of the photo lab. She is currently earning more than $9.00/hour. Ebony and her mother have moved out of Parkway and are now living in a community where they pay market rent.

Imagine you lived on the south side of Chicago at the turn of the 20th century. Grant Park had just been named in honor of Ulysses S. Grant, The University of Chicago was under construction and the recent Columbian Exposition put the city on the map. The "Windy City" moniker may have primarily referred to the weather, but the politicians were also famous for blowing a lot of hot air as they bragged about their modern, cultured city.

Around this same time, in 1896, a new apartment house was built at 51st and Grand Boulevard.

Recently annexed into the city, the area at 51st and Grand Boulevard was the gateway to Washington Park- a "suburban" retreat that featured boating and horse racing. The area evolved into Bronzeville, a major destination for African American migrants from the south between 1915 and 1960. Known as the other "Harlem", it was home to writers, musicians, doctors, lawyers, teachers, laborers, seamstresses and Pullman Porters. The boulevard's well-preserved gray stone and red brick buildings exemplify the architectural heritage of this community.

Grand Boulevard later became Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. As the name changed, so did the housing. Decades of overcrowding, disinvestment and redlining took their toll and much of the housing stock was lost. The building at 51st and King Drive, offering homes with up to five bedrooms, continued to provide desperately needed affordable housing into the 1990's. Nevertheless, the historic structure still needed new plumbing, heating, windows, kitchens and baths.

Consistent with that vision, in 2002, NHT/Enterprise, together with a Chicago partner, Chicago Community Development Corporation (CCDC) purchased the building at 51st and King and renovated it for the people who call it home. The building has both market-rate and subsidized units. The partnership invested more than $40,000 per apartment and pledged to keep the rents affordable for at least 30 years.

Regina Hodges, a 56-year old grandmother, has called 51st and King Drive home for 15 years. As an administrative assistant for a major corporation and later the City of Chicago, she originally paid full market rent. Illness prevented her from working and forced her onto disability, drastically reducing her income and putting market rent out of her reach. Fortunately, because of the property's affordability requirements Mrs. Hodges was able to remain in her home, where she now raises her 5 year old granddaughter.

Having seen the building in the best and worst of times, Mrs. Hodges is pleased with her newly rehabilitated apartment, as well as the building's improved environment. According to Mrs. Hodges, "The little kids got older and wilder. Before, there was nothing for them to do but get into trouble. Today, they have things for the kids to do and they enforce the rules."

One way to keep kids out of trouble is to encourage learning all day long. With this aim, NHT/Enterprise and CCDC opened a computer center and computer literacy program on site. The computer literacy program has grown rapidly and now has 30 participants. Mrs. Hodges, who had been away from computers for several years, is learning the new technology along with the youngsters at 51st and King. She is using her newfound computer skills to create business cards, fliers and other marketing materials for fellow residents who are hair stylists, interior designers, painters and carpenters. Her new skills may even lead to a small business in time. Like the building she has called home for so long, Mrs. Hodges is living proof that one is never too old for new life.

Luna and her husband Eric moved into Section 8 housing offered through the REACH program in Portland, Oregon in 1999 - just before their son Javier's first birthday. When they became REACH tenants, they felt incredibly welcome. In addition to affordable housing, Luna and Eric learned REACH offered tenants a variety of services including computer and cooking classes, free clothing, and programs for kids and social events.

When their second child, a daughter they named Maya, was born, Eric and Luna realized it wasn't cost effective for her to work full time and pay for child care for two kids. They knew it would be better for Luna to stay home with the kids. Their affordable Section 8 housing made that possible - they could live on one income and Luna could be home with their children.

Through her experience with subsidized housing, Luna grew to appreciate the community organizations that make it possible, and was inspired to start giving back. She began volunteering for Baby Blues Connection, a support group for women with post-partum depression. She appreciated having the time to be with her kids and give back to the community.

Last summer, after many years of saving, Eric & Luna purchased their own home. Javier is six and is attending Buckman School as a first grader. Maya is three and started in pre-school this fall. Luna is working now for Baby Blues Connection as their Administrative Coordinator, continuing the non-profit work she was exposed to through REACH.

Luna credits her Section 8 housing with helping her family: "It helped us so much by providing a good home with affordable rent, which allowed us to save and buy a home of our own."

Samali Refuge Abubaka Muktar and his family live at Northwest Pointe, a Section 42 property owned and managed by Neighborhood Housing Services in Boise, Idaho.

A member of the Samali Bantu tribe, Abubaka was just 10 years old when his grandfather and father were shot and killed, and the rest of his family was driven away. Along with his grandmother, mother and siblings, he walked nearly 200 miles to a refugee camp in Kenya. An estimated 160,000 members of the Samali Bantu tribe fled Samalia.

"It was horrible, especially in the camps," Abubaka says. "I was forced to move, my house was put on fire. Even in the second camp the same happened. We were moved by force by police."

The Muktars are one of 10 Samali Refuge families living at Northwest Pointe (21 adults and 50 children). They arrived in America with nothing. Neighborhood Housing Services worked with local businesses and individuals to secure donations of clothes, furniture, household items, and bicycles. Northwest Pointe's site manager, Kay Hess, helped the Samalis learn how to use electricity, indoor plumbing, appliances, shop for groceries, clean their house, and a myriad of other day-to-day things we all take for granted. "Our culture is very different from theirs" said Hess. "There was no personal property in the camps. When they first arrived, they would go into other apartments and take food out of the refrigerator, or take someone's bicycle." 

The Samalis have come a long way since arriving last September. The children quickly picked up English and are all in school. All of the adults have jobs and are learning English. Abubaka and his family are adjusting well. "I had a concept that I'm going to have a good life. I am free from the horrible situation. For our housing now, we have a good apartment. I didn't expect to switch a light off and on. It wasn't in my dreams. I have to thank the federal government of the United States to give this opportunity to Somali Bantus. Everybody I don't know is smiling at me, so I feel like I'm with the people I'm supposed to be with. That makes me feel at home."

National Church Residencies Offers a Home and Hope to a Neighbor in Need

Ida Dean, age 77, called the neighborhood around National Church Residencies' Roosevelt Towne Apartments home for more than forty years before she happily became a tenant last summer.

She and her husband had co-owned a small apartment building up the street, living in one unit and renting out the other three. After her husband died in 1996, however, Mrs. Dean was left to manage everything all by herself. Routine building maintenance became a significant challenge, as did the process of trying to keep the building full of tenants.

Eventually, Mrs. Dean was alone in the building. With building expenses meant to be shared among four households mounting, and only her Social Security as income, she could no longer make ends meet. Ignoring her shaky health and her doctor's warnings, she took on a part-time job in an effort to pay the bills and keep up with basic building maintenance.

However, she couldn't make ends meet; in the summer of 2004 she was forced to vacate the property she and her husband had called home for so many years. Luckily, a member of her church contacted Roosevelt Towne and requested help for Mrs. Dean. The staff at Roosevelt Towne rose to the occasion, helping complete her application, getting it approved, and moving her possessions into her new home all before the city came to board up her old one.

After years of fending for herself, Mrs. Dean is now well taken care of. She participates in a local Meals-on-Wheels program, which provides both prepared food and welcome company. Her affordable rent also means she no longer has to work. As a result, her health has improved.

When asked about her dramatic move, Ida Dean's eyes fill with tears as she talks about how blessed she feels to be at Roosevelt Towne and her gratitude towards the people who helped her get there. She mentions the peace of mind she gets from living in a "quiet and safe" building, yet also her joy that, through the kindness of strangers, she was able to remain in the neighborhood she has called home for more than 40 years.

Cleo Brown: A New Lease on Life
Common Ground Community The Christopher, New York, NY

If you had met Ms. Cleo Brown, a vibrant and active woman, about a year ago, you may not have recognized her. Prior to August 2004, Ms. Brown had been living on the streets of New York City with little hope of securing permanent housing.

Originally from California, Ms. Brown had worked and studied there for many years as both a teacher and a graduate-level student. But, in the late 1990s, she suffered a physical and emotional breakdown that led her to the New York City streets where she lived for approximately five years with a companion. Following the death of her friend, Ms. Brown decided that it was time to seek help and entered a homeless shelter. At the shelter, Ms. Brown received proper medical treatment, obtained a stable source of income and was eventually guided to permanent housing at Common Ground Community's The Christopher, a supportive housing residence located in Manhattan. A reliable and active tenant, Mrs. Brown utilizes a Section 8 subsidy to help make her rental payments at The Christopher.

With a new lease on life, Ms. Brown has embraced her new home and community at The Christopher. In her apartment, she proudly displays jewelry and photo-albums she has made in the crafts class offered on-site, and the paintings and drawings she has produced in The Christopher's weekly art class. She also speaks highly of the eight-week cooking class that she attends which began by teaching its students lessons on nutrition and food budgeting, and now focuses on the cooking of healthy and satisfying meals.

Ms. Brown has always been a writer and recently she has begun sharing her work with others through as many venues as possible, including an original poetry contest she recently entered via the Internet. She also writes articles for The Christopher's monthly resident newsletter, focusing on topics such as the anticipated new rooftop garden. In addition, Ms. Brown played a prominent role both in the performing and writing of a recent original play, presented by The Christopher Drama Group. Experiences such as these have propelled Ms. Brown to pursue theater more actively as a career goal, and she anticipates continuing to write and work on many productions in the future.

Ms. Brown speaks highly of the staff and residents at The Christopher as well as the social services provided on-site through the Center for Urban Community Services (CUCS). She gratefully acknowledges that a strong relationship with her caseworker allows her to effectively manage her daily tasks and needs so that she can maintain her healthy and productive lifestyle. Ms. Brown sets a positive example to other Christopher residents as an individual who has accomplished so much since she has found a place to call home.

The Christopher, located at 24th Street and 7th Avenue, is a supportive housing residence owned and operated by Common Ground Community. The residence provides 167 units of permanent supportive housing for low-income or formerly homeless adults and 40 units for the pioneering Foyer Program, for young adults aging out of foster care and at-risk of becoming homeless. Common Ground Community works with two social service partners at The Christopher: the Center for Urban Community Services (CUCS), a social service agency, provides support service for supportive housing tenants and Good Shepherd Services, a youth development agency, provides services to the young adults in the Foyer program. Currently 100 Christopher tenants receive rental subsidies from Section 8.

A Long Journey Home

Joel Araneda Vargas, Martínez-Parra, and their two children found it hard to believe that they were going to be homeowners. For over a quarter century the Chilean family had endured lives of transition and instability, never once having a space that was truly their own. In July of 2004, amid tears of joy and disbelief, they were handed the keys to their new home in Germantown, Maryland, thanks to Montgomery Housing Partnership, Inc. (MHP). As participants in MHP's Individual Development Account (IDA) Program, their personal savings were matched at a 3:1 ratio, which they used towards a down-payment on their first home.

Ever since the night in 1978 that Joel and his family escaped Augusto Pinochet’s brutal Chilean dictatorship - notorious for the "disappearing," torture, and murder of civilians - they were refugees in foreign lands. Joel and his family sought refuge in Brazil, where they began their lives anew, learned an unfamiliar language, and fought for their human dignity. After twenty years of struggling in Brazil, the resilient family uprooted for a second time and immigrated to the U.S. in 1999.

Living in fear without immigration documents, Joel, an engineer by training, worked as a day laborer while the whole family occupied a dark and cramped basement. Before long Joel got his green card and other family members found low-paying but steady jobs. As a supposed improvement to their living situation, the family moved to a run-down apartment in a Wheaton complex sullied by drugs, prostitution, housing code violations, and other degrading living conditions.

In 2002 Montgomery Housing Partnership bought the Pembridge Square Apartments in order to improve the residents’ standard of living and to maintain quality affordable housing in the Wheaton area. When MHP offered Pembridge residents an assortment of Community Life Programs, such as the IDA Program, Joel was among the first to enroll, although with caution, fearing that his family members’ immigration status would be uncovered.

For two years they saved their hard-earned dollars and attended IDA financial education workshops on homeownership. Joel and Monica each worked many hard hours at multiple jobs and deposited enough money into their Individual Development Account that they actually exceeded their initial savings goal!

When asked what it meant to them to own their home, before answering they briefly reflected upon their many trial-filled years of dreaming, struggling, and persisting - from their persecution in Chile, to their hard times in Brazil, to their new home in the United States. With complete sincerity, they replied that they now have a powerful sense of accomplishment, ownership, and fulfillment. They added, "We finally have a place for our family."

The first thing they did after receiving their keys was eat out at a modest restaurant and recover from the shocks of euphoria. For a family accustomed to pinching every penny and rationing every dollar, this was a striking deviation from their usual routine; this was a celebration! To have their own home was a longtime ambition, and at that moment they "felt truly empowered," to use their own words. Joel, Monica, and their two children finally arrived home after a difficult journey down a long and demanding road.

This summer they will celebrate their one year anniversary since becoming homeowners. Aware that there are scores of motivated and resilient families who have traveled equally wearisome roads, Montgomery Housing Partnership continues to offer the IDA Program as a way to empower aspiring homeowners to achieve their dreams without quelling their dignity.

New Americans find New Life at Covenant House

Yuli and Esfir were born in small towns (shtetls) in what is now the Ukraine. Yuli was born in 1920 and Esfir was born in 1931. Yuli served in the Soviet Military and was trained as a medical doctor, while Esfir worked as an assistant to a doctor and for her local health department. In 1953, on one of his weeks off, he went to visit his parents and was introduced to Esfir. By the end of the week, they were married and went to live near his base in the northeastern part of Russia, not far from Japan.

Yuli served in the Soviet military throughout WWII and treated the wounded. (He proudly displays his medals when a group of Russian Veterans gets together at Covenant House; all these veterans are proud they fought the Nazis.) After the war, he earned a specialty in infectious diseases and worked in military hospitals. When he retired from the military in 1972, he taught infectious diseases to medical students at the University in the Ukraine.

In 1996, the couple left the Ukraine and moved to St. Louis, MO to be closer to children and grandchildren there. They were forced to leave with nothing; Yuli had to donate his library of 3000 books to his friends and the local synagogue. A year after immigrating to St. Louis, the couple moved to Covenant House II in 1997. Their entire income is from SSI and therefore their choice of housing was very limited, but they have been extremely happy at Covenant House.

Both Yuli and Esfir take advantage of the many services and activities offered in their enriched senior housing complex. Yuli helps get donated movies to share with his fellow residents on the large screen television. He also volunteers in the Adult Day Care Program for elderly with dementia, helping to translate for the Russian- speaking participants. Esfir loves how friendly her neighbors are and takes advantage of many classes, including English as a second language and citizenship classes. Both Yuli and Esfir became proud citizens in 2002. Esfir beams when she describes the many holiday celebrations that she loves in the complex. In her former home, religious practices of any kind were forbidden. Now she can enjoy participating in Sabbath and holiday services. The couple celebrated their 52 wedding anniversary on January 23, 2005! They may not have a lot of money but thanks to Section 8 they are living the American Dream.