“I call it my miracle apartment,” says Fanny. “It’s mine. I have my own key.”
The journey to an apartment of her own took many years.
Fanny is a program participant in our supportive housing program. She started living at our Muhlenberg Residence in 2013. Prior to that, she lived in shelters in the Bronx and in Brooklyn, trying to overcome an alcohol addiction. During that time, she would travel every day to cook and clean for a family friend who was recovering from a heart attack.
Then came a day with a big snowstorm. She recalls, “I prayed to the Lord, ‘I can’t take this no more. I don’t care if it’s small. I’m going to put a lot of flowers in it and I’m going to be blessed. Just take me there.’”
She jokes that she got exactly what she wished for. The room at Muhlenberg was so small that each person had to enter one at a time. But it was her own room, with a door that closed. She found the staff to be “very professional, caring, and kind.”
Rachel Bleecker, now our Executive Director for Residential Services, used to leave little notes in Fanny’s mailbox. She had access to therapeutic activities, like art, music, and exercise. She took a nutrition class. Eventually, she worked with a social worker who helped her fill out an application and apply for a NYCHA housing voucher.
Fanny ultimately received the voucher, but then too much time elapsed and it expired. She was back to square one.
Her second “savior” (her words) turned out to be our Housing Specialist Adam Labiaga. He helped her navigate the process, get out of her comfort zone, hit the pavement to check out apartments, fill out paperwork, speak with NYCHA officials and landlords, and go on interviews. “He was very persistent,” Fanny says, texting her on the weekend to make sure she was following up.
LSSNY Housing Specialist Adam Labiaga with Fanny in Her New Apartment
More time passed without Fanny finding the right apartment. She was informed that her voucher would not be renewed. Adam found her the last available appointment in April, with a NYCHA representative. It was a Thursday and she had only until Monday to find an apartment in time.
And find one she did.
After looking at multiple apartments, she chose the one with ample closets. She moved in on her actual birthday. Fanny now has a bedroom, living room, bathroom, and kitchen. Her daughter bought her a sofa, TV, and chair. Fanny tends to her garden on her windowsill and looks out on trees. There are security guards outside.
“A very blessed community,” she says. “I thank the Lord; my daughter, Fanny Miriam; my social worker, Miss Jennifer at Muhlenberg [who initially helped me with housing paperwork and has never let me go even until today]; and I thank Adam.”
“He was so persistent with me,” she adds. “He prepared me. He didn’t know me from scratch. He is more than a housing specialist. He listens to me like a therapist.”