‘A safe home makes everything easier to tackle’: Opening the door for a renter in need
*Names have been changed due to confidentiality
When Allison was uprooted from her life, she found herself in need of a home and a fresh start. She found support from Trellis to navigate the barriers in front of her, but it was the compassion of a landlord that was key to rebuilding her life.
Allison had lived with an abusive partner during what she describes as “the worst years of my life”. Her situation came to a head when he moved out and stopped helping with their house payments. Although Allison worked a stable fulltime job, she struggled to keep up with the bills. The overwhelming debt left her with no other options. She filed for bankruptcy, and her house was put into foreclosure.
Allison struggled to cope with losing her home on top of ending her marriage and caring for her children. When she accessed Trellis’ Sustainable Families program, their first priority was to find a safe place for Allison and her children to live.
Looking for a place to call home
Trellis would pay for Allison’s damage deposit and first month’s rent, but they needed to find the right landlord. Allison recalls “looking at so many rental properties and talking to so many landlords,” many of whom turned her down when they found out she had rental assistance.
The search for a home continued for several months until they came across a posting that looked perfect for Allison. It was an affordable house in a good neighbourhood, and it had lots of space for Allison and her kids. They set up a viewing, but when Allison saw the place, she felt unsure about submitting yet another application.
“There were multiple people looking at the property. I thought, ‘there's no way I'm going to get this beautiful house,’” Allison says.
The landlord was very receptive when Trellis explained the supports available and how they would be working together. She and her husband had been landlords for only a few years, but they had built good relationships with their tenants. During the lockdown when a few tenants lost their jobs, they “made every effort to work with them in terms of their life circumstances.”
When the landlord met Allison in person, she empathized with her situation and decided to take her on as a tenant.
“I just had a good feeling about her. She seemed like she needed that chance.”
Allison was completely stunned when she learned that she had been accepted.
“I went from shock to happiness,” Allison says. “I was just so grateful.”
A new beginning
Since settling into her new home, Allison has been able to focus on other important areas in her life. She takes better care of herself, and through family counseling with Trellis, she can be mother that her children deserve.
“With everything that was going on, I didn’t feel like I was necessarily there for my children mentally. Counseling has helped repair a lot of things between the kids.”
Allison has connected with several other Trellis supports, such as weekly meetings with a support worker, assistance with her taxes and hiring a tutor for her kids, which she says has led to “huge improvements”.
“There are still many hurdles, but the fact that I feel safe in my home has made it so much easier to tackle everything.”
“Everybody who works at Trellis has been so amazing. It’s a team effort.”
Allison is especially thankful for the consistent care from her landlord, who is always quick to respond whenever Allison needs help around her home.
“Life is looking beautiful,” Allison says. “There are still many hurdles, but the fact that I feel safe in my home has made it so much easier to tackle everything.”
From day one, Allison’s landlord says she has only had positive experiences with Allison. Renting to Allison is a decision she would easily make again.
“I was happy to give her that chance,” Allison’s landlord says. “When I was going through a difficult time, a lot of people gave me a chance, and my life is completely different now than it was 12 years ago. I suspect that will be the case for her too.”
Thanks to our amazing landlord partners, we can provide families and young people in Calgary with a place to call home when they need it most. When you partner with us, you are championing people's right to safe housing and supporting their growth as they rebuild their lives.