{"id":3846,"date":"2020-11-25T15:26:57","date_gmt":"2020-11-25T15:26:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chwckck.org\/?p=3846"},"modified":"2021-01-11T22:27:08","modified_gmt":"2021-01-11T22:27:08","slug":"a-place-to-bloom","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chwckck.org\/2020\/11\/25\/a-place-to-bloom\/","title":{"rendered":"A Place to Bloom"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>

A Stressful Search<\/h2>\n

Years ago, a new family moved into a home in the Riverview neighborhood. Their mother, a CNA and home health aide, had had trouble finding quality housing for her family.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had a [Housing Choice] Voucher,\u201d she says. \u201cI was living in a bedroom with me and my three kids, and I couldn\u2019t find a place.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cassie and her family had moved into the cramped living situation after vacating their previous home. That house had been plagued with problems, and the neighborhoods surrounding it were unsafe.<\/p>\n

\u201cI lived in northeast [Kansas City]. I loved the area; it was pretty. I lived right next to the museum in an old 100-year-old house. But it had black mold; We froze in the winter, we melted in the summer. I lived there for three and a half years. The cockroaches were horrible.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cassie was looking for a safer place to stay for her children. But because finding landlords who will accept Housing Choice Vouchers can sometimes be difficult<\/a><\/strong> for a variety of reasons, she and her family instead temporarily moved in with someone who would let them stay in a bedroom.<\/p>\n

Cassie\u2019s family has deep roots in Kansas City. \u201cI grew up in North Kansas City. I was raised by my great great aunt and uncle. They had that house built after World War II.\u201d Cassie speaks with great admiration of the aunt and uncle who raised her. \u201cHe fought in World War II; she was a WAC in the military.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMy mom\u2019s family is a big family,\u201d she says. \u201cThey\u2019re all over. Paul\u2019s Drive In\u2026 my cousins work there; they\u2019ve worked there for over 20 years. Max Penny was my mom\u2019s uncle; he owned a grocery store on Merriam Lane that used to be ReStore.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoping to find a better way to keep her family in Kansas City, Cassie talked to a housing counselor at CHWC, who helped her apply for CHWC\u2019s House to Home Program. This rental program is designed to make renters into owners by the end of the 15-year rental period. Cassie was accepted into House to Home – it was then up to her to decide if the home would be hers.<\/p>\n

\u201cI saved and saved and saved for the rent and the deposit for 6 months,\u201d she says. \u201cI had one more day before my voucher was up, and I got it. I\u2019ve been here ever since.\u201d<\/p>\n

So her story had a happy ending.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"
Homes in the House to Home program in 2010<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

The Long Summer<\/h2>\n

But Cassie is one of many heads of households that has dealt with high utility costs and other problems during COVID-19 that have made it difficult for them to continue providing for the basic needs of their families. \u201cI don\u2019t even keep my lights on,\u201d she says. But her bills kept increasing as the COVID-19 pandemic wore on; this is part of a larger trend many families experienced this year.<\/p>\n

Cassie didn\u2019t want to let her family down. \u201cI saved for so long,\u201d she says. \u201cI don\u2019t want to lose what I have.\u201d<\/p>\n

CHWC housing counselors were able to identify Cassie and her family as possible candidates for CARES Act relief <\/a><\/strong>granted to CHWC through the Unified Government. With that relief award, CHWC was able to cover Cassie\u2019s utility payments and rent for the month of October and November.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt took a lot of stress off of me, because I didn\u2019t know if I was going to be able to pay for everything,\u201d Cassie says. \u201cI was able to get my granddaughter two outfits and a toy for her birthday – which I haven\u2019t been able to do since she was born.\u201d Cassie\u2019s granddaughter just celebrated her 3rd birthday last month.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Home Matters<\/h2>\n

Thanks to the support of many who have contributed to CHWC\u2019s work,\u00a0community members like Cassie can continue having a space to thrive and grow their families.<\/p>\n

Speaking about her home, Cassie says, \u201cWhen I first moved in, it was amazing to me. Now it\u2019s part of me. It\u2019s my home. This is my safe zone.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat I love about the house the most is that I can make it mine,\u201d she adds. \u201cThere\u2019s room for my kids. They can come and stay with me. I can garden and things like that, and I have a backyard.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cassie says she likes to grow \u201canything that\u2019s pretty.\u201d \u201cOne year I had pumpkin vines,\u201d she says. \u201cI transplanted lilies. I love flowers. I can go to Lowe\u2019s and get the distressed plants, and I\u2019m good at bringing them back to life.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cassie\u2019s message to anyone struggling during COVID-19 is that, \u201cWe should be there for one another … Even if it is just to talk. All our problems are different, but we are all the same.\u201d<\/p>\n

To CHWC\u2019s many supporters, the people who make this work possible, she has a message, too: \u201cThank you. We have a wonderful home because of [you], and what [you] do makes it so much better.\u201d<\/p>\n

—<\/p>\n

If you, your family, or loved ones are experiencing difficult financial times, please reach out to CHWC to talk with a housing counselor today<\/a>.<\/strong> Our counselors can provide support and resources to help you meet your goals, gain financial security, or find a place to truly call home.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A Stressful Search Years ago, a new family moved into a home in the Riverview neighborhood. Their mother, a CNA and home health aide, had had trouble finding quality housing for her family. \u201cI had a [Housing Choice] Voucher,\u201d she says. \u201cI was living in a bedroom with me and my three kids, and I…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":3857,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,7],"tags":[],"event_registration_count":null,"remaining-number-of-registrations":null,"yoast_head":"\nA Place to Bloom - Community Housing of Wyandotte County, Inc.<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/chwckck.org\/2020\/11\/25\/a-place-to-bloom\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"A Place to Bloom - Community Housing of Wyandotte County, Inc.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"A Stressful Search Years ago, a new family moved into a home in the Riverview neighborhood. 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