Respect and Hope in the Midst of Housing Crisis

Spend five minutes talking CVCAC housing counselor Shannon and you understand that this is more than a job for her.  Central Vermonters come to Shannon for help in avoiding eviction and foreclosure or in seeking stable housing for themselves and their families.

Many are in crisis and may be particularly vulnerable or exposed when she meets them.  Shannon responds with tremendous respect for people’s circumstances, their strengths and their resiliency.

For one family facing over $3,000 in back rent, Shannon helped them develop and negotiate a repayment plan with their landlord. “I thought it [the regular payment] was really high. But they did it!” she says proudly.  For Shannon, every success breeds joy which she draws on to help others spark even greater transformations in their lives, “I feel good when I can help people realize that they do have the power to make change.”  It’s not unusual for Shannon’s visits to take her beyond typical housing issues. Even as the family began repaying back rent, Shannon helped one family member prepare a job application. “She just wasn’t confident that she could do it on her own.  Once people have a few successes, they see it themselves and grow more confident.”  Now, this family is a two-income household; paying the bills just became a whole lot easier.  

Shannon works with over 25 families in a month—visiting homes, providing information on tenant rights and responsibilities, counseling on budgets, helping landlords and tenants communicate, referring to partner agencies, coaching clients to self-advocate, and making sure that folks are hooked up to all the resources available. Like many CVCAC staff, her job is a “jack of all trades” with her ultimate goal of helping people stay securely housed.  

How long does it take to reach that goal?  “Sometimes people just need a little bit of a jump start.  Other times, we work with people for 3 months, 6 months or a year.”  

One young man had been an automobile mechanic all his life, but an injury and subsequent prosthetic arm was not conducive to replacing gaskets or changing belts anymore. He applied for and was denied public assistance because his income from part-time work placed him beyond the reach of many services.  Discouraged, he didn’t ask for help again for years.  He finally contacted Shannon when he was facing eviction.  She showed him what resources he could tap into—Medicaid, General Assistance, food shelves, Vocational Rehabilitation, disability benefits. “After a bad experience with the system, it’s hard for people to go back and reapply.  I showed him the options,” Shannon explains, but emphasizes, “He’s been proactive—making the calls. We empower the people we work with and help them advocate for themselves.”  

Sure, it’s hard some days.  People face overwhelming barriers, come in too late for some types of help, or have an understandably hard time looking at the big picture when they are facing an immediate crisis.  Recently, Shannon helped a woman leave an unsafe housing situation.  She pointed her towards some local funding and helped her develop a plan for what was needed to get into a new apartment. Now the woman can keep working the same job and her son can stay in the same school.  Shannon helped her family to find stability—a stability that brings hope.

Click here to learn more about CVCAC's housing counseling services.