In addition to providing affordable housing, as part of our agency's mission, we also seek to provide our residents with opportunities to grow, succeed and improve their quality of life as they participate in the community.
One of the ways that we accomplish this is by providing them with resident services. Sue Nahass and Adriana Jacinto work endlessly to make sure our residents get the social services they need.
One family of seven has lived in Napa for many years. Before moving into one of our apartments, this family was struggling in an overcrowded, substandard house. The entire family was living in one room of a three bedroom house rented from a relative. They were limited in their use of the kitchen and had to use the showering facilities at odd times. The room was expensive and the children were often admonished for playing and making noise. It was an unbearable condition. After moving into our apartment, the family felt much less stress. The mother got involved in the Raising a Reader program and in leadership activities of the Resident Association. The young girls got involved in Girl Scouts. The children did so well in school that both girls have now graduated from college. The younger of the two is now in the Peace Corps. Their improved living conditions support the family as they pursue opportunities to become vital members of our community.
Maria is a mother in one of our resident families. She and her three children moved to our property a year ago after paying $1160 a month for a two-bedroom, one bath apartment. Maria is a field worker in the vineyards who earns minimum wage. Since starting with our Family Empowerment program, Maria has improved her English skills, is learning to use a computer and is able to read to her children from the library in our property’s community center. She has joined a women’s support group and finally feels a part of her residence community and the larger Napa community. Hers is just one success story among hundreds.
Ida and her four children have been at our apartments at Mayacamas for seven months. Her last apartment cost $900 for two bedrooms. “Our apartment here is spacious, pretty and economical. There are nice people living here. I come every day to the Von Brandt Center to socialize, read books to the kids and use the computers. On Fridays we have lunch and sometimes speakers. Our kids have more room and can play safely with nice friends. I’ve met a lot of people.”
Martin works as a vineyard foreman for a local winery. He has three very young children. His wife, Tessa, was out of work due to a job-related injury, so making ends meet for the family on his modest salary and his wife’s disability payments was a real struggle. They paid a hefty rent for a one-bedroom apartment that was a long way from the children’s school and had no playground. Their landlord neglected desperately needed repairs and in spite of the crowded conditions, they felt this was all they could afford. They applied for our property Whistlestop Townhomes and were accepted. Now, for a lower rent payment, they have a new, clean, two-bedroom apartment, where everything works and the children can play safely outdoors in a common playground. “With the savings on rent,” says Tessa, “we can afford to buy clothes and other things the children need.”
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