Denise Franklin lived more than 30 years in subsidized housing, and then, in her parents’ home with her daughter. Now she works as a nurse and owns her own home thanks to Beyond Housing, the redevelopment and housing authority of Bristol, Virginia.
“I had to make a home for my daughter and show her how to be independent,” said Denise.
Beyond Housing estimates 50% of the local population lives in poverty or struggles to make ends meet. The organization is the largest provider of affordable rental housing, owning and operating 336 public housing units and serving more than 700 households through its programs. While housing is its core mission, it has a complementary pursuit of helping people rise above poverty.
Through the Housing and Urban Development Find-A-Way Program, public housing residents like Denise attain self-sufficiency and move away from public assistance. Climbing out of poverty is hard work; the five- to seven-year program has practical and inspirational elements to create success. Staff work with clients to learn money management, improve credit scores, find and keep employment, and set goals. They are encouraged, maybe for the first time, to dream about their future.
It is one element of Beyond Housing’s innovative service to the community. The HUD-designated EnVision Center, where the Find-A-Way Program is housed, has comprehensive services to combat generational cycles of poverty. It offers elderly programs, counseling, Big Brothers Big Sisters, and peer recovery support. Additionally, Beyond Housing is designated a Moving to Work agency, which means it can design and test inventive organizational strategies. It now applies incentives to attract and retain landlords, for example.
Find-A-Way participants build up an escrow account that they can access upon graduation, and Denise used the savings for her down payment. Being a homeowner changed her life. Now she serves on Beyond Housing’s Board of Commissioners to ensure others can follow in her footsteps.
