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This month we connected with Bend resident Shannon, who in the midst of pregnancy was struggling to find a place to live.
When Shannon first connected with Thrive, she was in somewhat of a race against time. She needed to be out of the shelter program where she was staying before the birth of her baby. With a credit score on the lower end, Shannon found it incredibly challenging to not only find an affordable place in this competitive housing market, but also to find a property that would accept her. Thrive guided Shannon through that initial housing search, helping her identify and apply to affordable housing options that fit within her criteria and keeping her notified of any new openings.
After many months of waiting, Shannon finally made it to the top of the waitlist for one of those affordable housing properties. However, with the mounting costs of preparing for her new baby and the reality of an unpaid maternity leave, money was tight and Shannon found herself unable to pay both the deposit and rent for her new place. Through our rental assistance program, Thrive was able to help make Shannon’s move happen by covering her first month’s deposit and rent. Finishing the race just in time, Shannon began moving into her new home, and the very next day, was in the hospital giving birth to her new baby girl.
In regards to her experience with Thrive, Shannon says, “It was great. We had good communication. [Thrive] definitely came through and made it possible for me to get into housing, and it’s definitely a blessing. I so appreciate it.” Shannon is now happily settling into her role as a new mom and finishing up unpacking in her new place. She is excited to spend time with her baby girl while on maternity leave and is looking forward to this next chapter in her life.