In 2015, Caitlin and her twin boys were sharing a small bedroom in her mother’s house in West Rutland. A single mom, Caitlin had fled to Vermont from Colorado to escape an abusive relationship.
Her twins – still babies then – had been born prematurely, and required round-the-clock care. Caitlin felt cramped and unsettled. “It wasn’t working.”
Caitlin’s sister was renting an apartment from the Housing Trust of Rutland County, and urged Caitlin to see if they had any openings.
“I met with them, filled out an application, and was fully expecting to be put on a wait list. But we finished the paperwork and they asked if I wanted to see an apartment. I went right in – everything went very smoothly.”
Caitlin moved in to the Shirley Farr House in Brandon, where she lived for five years. As a tenant, she felt safe and supported.
“I was a stay-at-home mom for about three years – I had to be. My twins were born at 25 weeks – very premature – and had a lot of health issues. One had therapy six times a week—I was constantly going to Dartmouth for appointments. The Housing Trust staff was just amazing. Working with the income I had, any issues or difficulty I had paying rent, they were always willing to work with me. They do everything they can to help people stay in their apartments”
As a survivor of domestic violence, Caitlin appreciated living in a locked building, with neighbors that looked out for each other. “There was a real sense of community. Our neighbors were nice, and we got to be really close friends with them. There were other kids to play with, and the property has a nice playground that the kids absolutely loved. It felt really safe there, and that’s big for me.”
Last August, Caitlin landed her dream job as school nurse at Rutland High School. Higher income meant she had to move on from a Housing Trust property. “I still live in Brandon, but now I’m in a duplex, near the golf course. It’s an older building, and we do miss having more than one neighbor, but we love it. It’s been a crazy year to start as a school nurse, but I love it. The kids are such troopers for everything they are going through right now.
“I am so thankful for my experience with the Housing Trust. Being a single mom – unable to work for many years—I was able to focus my time on my kids when they needed it most, and that’s the biggest thing for me. My kids are in first grade now, and doing well. I feel like I can move on to my next adventure, and someone else can move into my apartment. I don’t think I’d be where I am in my life right now if I hadn’t been able to rent from the Housing Trust.”
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