Fifteen years ago, Cindy and her daughter packed their belongings in Kansas and headed west on a new adventure. Their destination was Del Mar, California.

Cindy had just finished her master’s degree in education and was excited to start her career in a new location. She was fortunate to find an apartment where she could take her daughter to school and work in the same area. As a single mother, the high price of rent became a challenge. Cindy quickly realized she wasn’t in Kansas anymore.

Eighteen months after arriving in California, Cindy suffered a heart attack. After her diagnoses, she was required to take a leave of absence in her new career. When her health improved, she was released for duty as a substitute teacher.  This resulted in a hard salary cut and difficult times for Cindy as a single-parent household.

Cindy began investigating affordable housing in San Diego. During her search she found a local affordable community and was able to get on a waitlist. She knew that the wait for an apartment could be from a week to four years. Several months later, Cindy received a phone call from the Windwood Village Apartments in Carmel Valley with a vacancy for them. This would allow her and her daughter to stay in California.

“Affordable housing gave us a safe, clean, and modern place to call home”, Cindy said. “I would never had been able to afford to live in that nice of place and provide for my daughter.” By cutting her rent in half, she was able to buy a dependable used vehicle, enroll her daughter in soccer and pay bills on time.

“Affordable housing changed our lives for the better. I am thankful every day that I was given the opportunity to be part of my community.”

Cindy continues her involvement in affordable housing, on the services side, participating in our monthly trainings for the Resident Services Support Network.