Lives Transformed: Affordable Homeownership for a Single Mother in Upstate New York

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Berniece is a single mother with two small children who was living in an upstate New York public housing development. Not being satisfied with this situation, Berniece was sure that there was more out there for her and her children. She had the dream of someday owning her own home.

With that dream in mind Berniece took advantage of the programs offered by the Schenectady Municipal Housing Authority, such as the Family Self Sufficiency Program, Homeward Bound, and the housing counseling program that was run by Better Neighborhoods INC. (BNI) of Schenectady, New York.

Through these programs she set the groundwork for achieving that dream of homeownership. She received counseling at BNI were she was taught about saving for a deposit and budgeting and was soon ready to apply to the Schenectady Housing Authority’s Home Ownership Program which is funded through the use of HUD Housing Choice/Section 8 Vouchers (HCV) Berniece was soon able to purchase a single - family home for herself and her children!

As a result of this homeownership program which enabled her to use her Housing Choice /Section 8 voucher to purchase a home, she has now left public housing. Berniece says, “the program gave me the opportunity to work, to become a homeowner, to give a better life to my two children and myself and to build my self esteem. This (HUD funded) homeownership program will assist me for 15 years and for that I will always be grateful.”

The bottom line, there are programs are out there for people who want to take advantage of them. As icing on the cake, this story is especially positive not only because it helped a single mom and her family out but because now Berniece herself is a housing counselor and she is helping other people to know there is a better life available to them.