Affordable Housing Keeps Family Together
Emma Brink’s Story
Emma was born and raised in Fort Collins. In fact, her family has been in the area for generations. And they would like to continue living here so the family can all stay close.
In 2012, when Emma was 10 years old, her family of five was at risk of going homeless. Although she was young, Emma remembers that the price of rent at the places they were living kept rising, and it was incredibly hard to keep food on the table. “My father was working so much we hardly saw him,” Emma said. And her mother was too ill to work.
“When we found Neighbor to Neighbor, we were in a dark place,” Emma said. “Thankfully, we got assistance from Neighbor to Neighbor and found a place we could rent. They worked with us to become more stable as tenants and as a family.”
From what she remembers, Emma said Neighbor to Neighbor had an apartment ready for her family before they had to be out of the previous apartment, which she understands isn’t always the case for people seeking low-income housing. “I’m grateful we were able to get assistance quickly,” she said.
Ft. Collins residents need support and opportunity
Recently, Neighbor to Neighbor gave Emma’s family the opportunity to move to a newly updated property, which she says is much more accommodating to her family’s needs and feels more like a home. “The process was fairly easy on us,” she said. “They provided a lot of support.”
When asked if she thinks housing in the Fort Collins area is accessible to anyone who needs a home, Emma said, “Absolutely not.” She mentioned that, when her family lived at a previous rental property, they saw a huge growth in homelessness, including more and more families joining the homeless population. “It was hard seeing small children having to play either on the side of the road or in a car,” she said.
“I don’t know a single person who can afford a house here, let alone the ever-rising rent,” Emma added. “On social media, I’ve seen families begging for help as they can’t afford rent anymore and are at risk of losing their home.”
Emma wants to see an increase in support for families and disabled people in the Fort Collins community. And she would like for people her age to have an opportunity to move out of their family homes – not have to stay home because that’s the only option they can afford.
