Meet Beatrice & Read About Her Pathway to Homeownership!

inte8821 • May 14, 2018

A very happy day in 2017, but Beatrice’s life hasn’t always been so happy. Married in Cameroon to her partner of 10 years in 1997, her husband left her in 1998 to come to the United States. Three years later, Beatrice joined her husband in the U.S. only to discover he was a different person.

The physical and mental abuse began immediately, and it was only after her oldest son, then 6 years old in 2011, stood up to his father asking him not to beat his mother. The father then turned on the boy, so Beatrice called 9.1.1. and the father was removed from the home of Beatrice and her 3 children. That was when she found out that her husband had borrowed a lot of money in her name only.
She knew she couldn’t afford to pay the money back, so she sold her home and paid off the tremendous debt her husband had kept hidden from her. She knew she was starting over, but never afraid of hard work, Beatrice continued to persevere. She worked the night shift at Frederick Memorial Hospital so she could care for her children during the day. She sought help from Heartly House and was given good advice on how to overcome the trauma a victim of domestic violence experiences. The Housing Authority helped her to find a place to live and referred her to the Prosperity Center’s Credit Café.

At the Credit Café, her advisor told her to “stick to Miss Carol and you are going to be blessed.” He was referring to Carol Riggles, IHA’s Homeownership Program Manager. And that is exactly what Beatrice did. She learned how to manage her credit, reduce her debt, raise her credit scores and save for the future.

This May, Beatrice will purchase a home in a wonderful neighborhood near excellent schools and not far from work. Beatrice says, “All I want is for my children to have a good life.” When asked what her next goal in life will be, Beatrice said she plans to move up her career path from a Certified Nursing Assistant to a Licensed Practical Nurse. We all have no doubt that Beatrice will make her new dream come true as well.

Gary Free resident at Residences at Railroad Square Apartments

March 3, 2025
Gary Free grew up in Brunswick, MD. The first time he saw the Residences at Railroad Square, he knew he would love to live in the apartments. Now all he can think to himself is, “I am living here!” Gary said the day he signed his lease he was so happy! He has a picture hanging in his apartment that says, “You’re Home.” Gary looks at it often and says to himself, “I am!” He finally feels at peace. Gary feels his home is nice! He also feels one of the ways of living at Residences of Railroad Square is that he now has everything he ever wanted, asked for and needed. The only thing he feels is a concern is that most of the time he gets lonely. His goal is to try to meet people. He says, “I’m a very friendly person.” Gary says his experience living at the Residences at Railroad Square has been rather good. If he has any concerns he can talk to the office staff. He feels it can’t get any better than this!

Lease-up of Residence of Railroad Square

By Crystal Thomas • March 3, 2025
With excitement and anticipation, I watched the groundbreaking on June 29, 2023, with my assistant Vickie and IHA’s Supportive Services coordinator, Sandi. By the middle of September 2023 concrete walls were being set up. We watched as the roof was completed; then the windows and doors were installed. We impatiently waited for the day we received permission to see the inside of the Residences of Railroad Square property. Finally, on September 25, 2024, we had the privilege to tour the inside of this beautiful property. On the weekend of September 27, 2024, the IHA property management team along with the CEO Jodie, held a two-day in-person application event. The owners of First Stop Brunswick generously donated their space at 2. E. Baltimore Street. That lease up kick off generated 56 applications. Over the next three months, ninety more applications were submitted. Each applicant came with their own story which stirred our hearts. No matter how different their stories may have been, they all had the same wish, a place to call home for Christmas! On November 5, 2024, the first resident signed their lease and on December 23, 2024, the last empty unit was filled! Not only were we able to fulfill these residents' Christmas wishes but it also filled our hearts with joy!

Interfaith Housing Alliance (IHA) is proud to announce 4 funding awards received this quarter from community partners.

March 3, 2025
In November 2024, IHA was awarded a $20,000 grant from Delaplaine Foundation, Inc. This grant supports IHA’s three workshop series: Credit Café ; Financial Freedom Bootcamp ; and Ready, Set, Go… Home! In Credit Café, participants work specifically on improving their credit. Financial Freedom Bootcamp builds critical foundational skills for financial success. Ready, Set, Go… Home! walks participants through the entire homebuying process from start to finish. IHA also received a $1,574.37 designated grant from The PNC Homeownership Fund of The Community Foundation of Frederick County. These pass-through funds will directly support low- to moderate-income (LMI) households in achieving homeownership in Frederick County. In December 2024, IHA was awarded a $29,498 grant from the Maryland Affordable Housing Trust (MAHT). MAHT is administered by the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) through the Division of Neighborhood Revitalization. This grant program is a valuable resource for the advancement of affordable housing initiatives and will provide operational assistance to IHA’s affordable multifamily community in Cumberland, MD. In January 2025, IHA was awarded a $2,500 grant by The Natelli Communities Charitable Fund of The Community Foundation of Frederick County. These unrestricted funds will support IHA’s work across the multiple counties served by our programs and affordable rental communities.
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