Suzanne

Suzanne and her son lost almost everything when there was a fire in their apartment building. Suzanne's medical assistant salary was not enough to cover the costs of starting over in a new place. She couldn't afford a security deposit plus first and last month's rent. She lacked the education and training to get a higher-paying job. She did not have a safety net of family and friends whom she could trust to care for her son. On a cold, rainy day in March, Suzanne and her pre-schooler son became officially homeless. They found food and safe shelter with Housing Forward.

Suzanne went to work every morning at six a.m.; her son went to school. Housing Forward Case Managers for the Family Transitional Housing program helped Suzanne enroll in a two-year nursing program and set up a savings plan. Within two months, she had signed a lease for her very own two-bedroom apartment. On move-in day, a team of Housing Forward volunteers donated and delivered furniture for all the rooms in Suzanne's new home. Today, she is contributing 30% of her monthly income toward her rent and paying her own utilities.