Next Step, Homeownership!

A family of four was referred to Families Together by a social worker at Wake County Public Schools. The family was spending most of their income renting motel rooms. In March of 2020, they were enrolled into our Master Lease (ML) program. In the Master Lease program, Families Together holds the lease to the property and pays the full market rate for rent. The family pays a small percentage of rent plus all of the utilities. This gives clients time to establish themselves, save money, and pay-off debt.

When this family entered the ML program, they had no savings and a substantial amount of debt including a very large eviction debt – a major barrier to obtaining housing on their own. Shortly after settling into their new unit, the father was laid-off due to COVID-19. He received unemployment benefits, which allowed them make ends meet, but money was still tight. They worked with the Families Together team to get back on track and pay off the old debt.

A year later, the father has returned to work making more than he did before COVID-19, and, in April, the family was given the opportunity to rent a newly remodeled 3-bedroom unit. The family was approved and signed a lease in their own name on April 28th. During their time in the ML program, the family started a savings account and paid all their move-in costs out of pocket. They paid off their eviction and all other debts so that they are now able to focus on saving and increasing their monthly income. The family has a new housing goal -- to own a home.