Elvira has been with BRHP for 17 years, and over that span of time she has seen what access to opportunities and mobility can provide, from housing stability to the growth of her children.

“I lived in the projects in East Baltimore City, and I just wanted to give my kids a better life.”, Elvira said as she reflected when asked about her housing situation prior to being provided the access to BRHP and the Baltimore Housing Mobility Program. Moving from East Baltimore City to Columbia, Maryland, Elvira mentioned  her motivations in relation to her son’s development: “My daughter was much older than my son, so I really wanted to get my son out of the environment.”

When asked about her time in the program and reflecting on the housing voucher’s impact on her life, Elvira noted how the community has provided to her the stability she wanted at the time of leaving: “It helped me tremendously. It’s expensive here, but the neighbors are wonderful. I haven’t had any issue with anyone out here, neither has my son. We’ve been doing pretty good – it made my son do better in school.”, completing her goals of bringing her son to a better supported social and educational environment.

The housing voucher also helped Elvira extend some of her wealth to her children, as well as lessen the mental health impacts of rent burdening as a result of rising housing and land costs – she shared after being asked about how BRHP’s programs helped her achieve certain goals: “It helped me some, it helped me give to my kids. Its helped a lot as far as my mental health. I have some health issues, I stopped going to school due to them, but it (the housing voucher) helped me stay afloat.”

The housing voucher also helped Elvira extend some of her wealth to her children, as well as lessen the mental health impacts of rent burdening as a result of rising housing and land costs – she shared after being asked about how BRHP’s programs helped her achieve certain goals: “It helped me some, it helped me give to my kids. Its helped a lot as far as my mental health. I have some health issues, I stopped going to school due to them, but it (the housing voucher) helped me stay afloat.”

Having achieved her goals of giving her children the best opportunity she could with BRHP and the Baltimore Housing Mobility Program, when asked about her future goals, she shared: “I take every day at a time as nothing is really promised to you. I wish for the best.”