Single mom risked homelessness before 'saved' by NeighborWorks member

Becca Baladez turned to Neighbor to Neighbor in Ft. Collins, Colorado, for help when she realized her apartment lease was about to expire and she had to move.

"I am a single mom with three kids and they are my world, "she says. Neighbor to Neighbor housing counselor Alea Rzonca worked with Baladez in her search for housing. It wasn't easy, but she averted a very real possibility that her children would be living on the street.



Baladez also received first-month rent assistance from Neighbor to Neighbor's office in Loveland in November 2015. Through this program, she was able to access up to $500 in assistance. The program provides a safety net to families so they can avoid or end homelessness by moving into stable rental housing.

According to a Pew Research Center survey conducted during fall 2015 among 1,807 U.S. parents with children younger than 18, a third of parents with annual family incomes less than $30,000 say their neighborhood is only a "fair" or "poor" place to raise kids. Just 7 percent of parents with incomes in excess of $75,000 give their neighborhood similarly low ratings.

Beyond their feelings about their neighborhoods, low-income parents are more likely than those with higher incomes to express concerns about their children being victims of violence. At least half of parents with family incomes less than $30,000 say they worry their child or children might be kidnapped or get beat up or attacked.

Having a safe, secure place to call home has offered Baladez a new beginning.

"We are beyond blessed and beyond thankful for all the help that Neighbor to Neighbor provided," she says. "We can now come home to a house filled with lots of love, blessings, laughter, joy and many memories."

In Northern Colorado, one-third of all renters pay more than 50 percent of their incomes on rent. This means one unexpected expense can cause families to be displaced with nowhere to go. Neighbor to Neighbor impacts more than 5,000 families in Larimer County, Colorado, each year with services from homelessness prevention to homeownership education.

Kelly Evans, executive director, says, "Support from Neighborworks America makes it possible for local families to achieve or preserve rental housing and for other families to achieve their dream of homeownership. Offering a continuum of housing services is critical because home is the foundation for success in all areas of life."