Ann Cormia fell on hard times after her husband died in May of 2018. Within months she also experienced the loss of a brother and an uncle. Overwhelmed with grief and financial insecurity, Ann was unable to hold on to her Grove Street apartment. In 2019, Ann found herself living on the street.
When the pandemic arrived, and brought forth emergency housing for those experiencing homelessness, Ann was able to secure a hotel room at the Roadway Inn, housed on one of the State’s Emergency Housing Vouchers. Through her caseworker at the Homeless Prevention Center, Ann found out about Lincoln Place, and was encouraged to apply.
“I’m really grateful to the Housing Trust for taking me in,” says Ann. “I have a studio apartment now, with a nice kitchen, and a living room with lavender curtains! And I love my bathroom – I love the shower. The water stays hot.”
Ann admits she wasn’t sure she’d like living in an apartment building, but she quickly came to appreciate the amenities, including support staff available to help her and other residents of Lincoln Place. “Heather is an angel. She helps me a lot, and she helps a lot of people here. My breathing is not too healthy, and she helps me when I can’t walk, like giving me rides to get groceries or to get my medicine. It’s very comforting to know that someone is watching out for you.”
Ann appreciated the temporary shelter of the motel during Covid, but she says she is 100 times happier in her new apartment. “When I was in the motel, I had to be careful with cooking and storing food,” says Ann. “A lot of the time the refrigerator wasn’t working, so I had to throw out a lot of food. Here I don’t have to worry about that. The staff makes sure everything works right.”
Ann feels fortunate to be among the first residents at Lincoln Place. “I’m really grateful. The neighbors are nice, I like having people to talk to. There’s good people here.” Of the work that the Housing Trust does around affordable housing she says, “It’s very important that they keep doing this. So many people can’t afford a place to live.”
Ann now spends her days enjoying the company of her Labradoodle puppy, Molly, her cat, Dora, and her boyfriend Kojack. She says she has more decorating to do, but she is happy to live day by day without worrying about a roof over her head. “It feels like home. I’m happy.”