Supportive Services Help Residents Achieve their Goals
A home is only as strong as its foundation. For many residents, affordable housing is their foundation and a lifeline for their health and wellbeing. Across our portfolio, residents and staff work together to access the resources they need to strengthen that foundation and achieve their goals.
Opening the Door to College
Onsite staff at Monseñor Romero supported Anthony, a resident who wanted to go to college. He was the oldest son; his parents never attended college in the United States and weren’t able to help him with the application process. His parents were members of the community’s tenant association and regularly volunteered at community events and food distributions and built strong relationships with the resident services team that they turned to for support. NHT staff sat down with the family and explained the ins and outs of federal student aid (FAFSA), scholarship hunting, and selecting schools. They reviewed Anthony’s application essays. After many long discussions, and tears of joy, he was accepted to The University of the District of Columbia on full scholarship and now is on his way to becoming the first person in his family to graduate college.
Finding Work and Maintaining Stability
At St. Dennis, Anna lost her job and needed help finding a new one so she could help her family pay rent and continue her education. The resident services coordinator worked with her to develop a comprehensive action plan designed to help her land a new job. In less than a month, Anna was hired at a local nonprofit. After settling into her new position, she was motivated to give back and volunteered at a community event.
Accessing Behavioral Health Support
Daniel lives at one of our southeast properties and struggles with behavioral health issues. Coping with the loss of his mother made it difficult for him to take care of himself. Our staff supported Daniel and referred him to a community healthcare partner where he was connected to a case manager and a therapist and received the care he needed.
A common thread runs through each of these stories: NHT is there for residents when they need it most.
When we support communities with comprehensive resident services, residents also support one another and create environments where they feel safe, resourced, and empowered. When we create strong relationships between owners, partners, and residents, we improve community health and help residents feel at home. And when residents have access to the resources they need to find stability and achieve their goals, our investments in affordable housing deliver greater community impact, as well as improved financial returns through reduced turnover.
Residents’ names are changed to protect their identities.