How Annie Kept Her Boys Safe
For almost two years, 38-year-old mom Annie worked hard to rebuild stability for her family after experiencing homelessness. Living with her sons, Sam (9) and Ian (4), she was determined to keep their lives as steady as possible. But when Sam began facing health challenges, Annie had to reduce her work hours to care for him—making it difficult to keep up with rent.
Despite doing everything she could, Annie fell behind and entered a payment plan with her landlord. As her bank account was stretched too thin between rent, groceries and other necessities, Annie couldn’t keep up with the payment plan, and her case returned to housing court. Overwhelmed and fearful, Annie tried to avoid thinking about the possibility of eviction. She carried the weight of the situation alone, shielding Sam and Ian from the stress so they wouldn’t have to worry about losing their home.
Through a Boston Public Schools referral, Annie connected with a FamilyAid homelessness prevention case manager, Lina, who helped her face the situation head-on. Together, they reviewed her options and made a plan. Annie began making partial rent payments whenever she could, demonstrating her commitment to staying in her home. Lina helped her apply for several public sources of housing assistance, obtain private FamilyAid resources, and legal support through FamilyAid’s Access to Counsel program with Greater Boston Legal Services and Boston Public Schools.
With Lina and GBLS by her side, Annie attended her housing court hearing with confidence. Because she had already begun making payments and showed a clear effort to resolve the situation, she was offered a forgiveness program. Under the agreement, part of her debt was forgiven on the condition that she make her next six months of rent payments on time.
With FamilyAid’s support, Annie’s determination made all the difference. By making payments and taking proactive steps to stabilize her situation, Annie was able to keep her family in their home.
Today, Sam and Ian remain safely housed—thanks to their mother’s perseverance and the support she received when it mattered most.
