Robin is a survivor of domestic violence. For years, her focus was on providing a safe environment for her three children and making sure they knew their mother was there to care for them. They didn’t have a lot of options, but Robin was able to secure a housing voucher through Metro Housing|Boston, which Robin describes as a “life saver” for herself and her children. “It not only gave me a safe place to live,” she says, “but I was also able to improve the quality of my life with employment and education.”

Robin also learned about the FSS program. Even though she was interested in the savings opportunity offered in the FSS program, Robin felt intimidated about the process. Just weeks earlier, she had been held in jail in Dorchester on account of some unpaid debts. Her sister helped her pay the court fines and collection fees so that she could come home, but she remembers feeling at an all time low. Nevertheless, Robin pushed forward. She met with her coach Ann, who was comforting and, “made me feel like I could do it. She gave me the confidence to get going and start plugging away.”

First, Robin wanted to focus on getting her finances back on track and improving her credit score. She had been working at UMass Boston for over 17 years, supporting the Vice Provost and the Business Office. But in addition to her own student loans, Robin was also a co-signer on her eldest daughter’s student loans – adding to her debt burden. She started paying down these debts, saving a little money every month. Over time, she improved her credit score dramatically. She graduated from her first time in the program in 2015 with over $11,000 in her FSS escrow account and a credit score over 700! Robin wasn’t going to stop there: she decided to re-enroll with the FSS program to work on her next big goal: buying a home. And, with the extra savings she had built, Robin was able to take time for joy and celebration by going on a family vacation with her children for the first time in years.

Robin and her family spending time in their new kitchen.

Robin remembers that while she had great success her first time through the program, it was during her second time in the program that she felt herself really grow. She shares,

“I started to develop a real relationship with my money and savings. I started to understand what could be possible if I budgeted and invested my money right.”

In 2020, with nearly $30,000 built up in savings, Robin officially started the homebuying process. She applied to be part of the Neighborhood Homes Initiative program, a lottery system run by the city of Boston that connects first-time homebuyers with affordable properties. She applied right as the pandemic started and was invited to tour a home in the summer of 2020. However, due to COVID-19, construction on the homes was delayed and nearly a year went by before Robin heard again from the program. Thankfully in April 2021, Robin got the news that she had been selected in the lottery to purchase a home in Dorchester – just down the street from her current apartment. She was beyond thrilled to finally make her dream a reality.

“When I finally got the keys to our home, I went in first just by myself. Then, I came back with my kids. They all just started crying and hugging me, telling me how proud they were.”

Robin and her son officially moved into their new home in September 2021. She loves having a place her daughters can come back to for visits. She’s especially excited for the unfinished attic space, which she plans to turn into her own office and personal retreat!

Robin and her family playing cards

As Robin prepares to graduate from the FSS program, she reflects: “When I look back - I was close to having to live on a park bench. And now I’m a homeowner. It doesn’t feel real most of the time; I keep worrying someone is going to come in and take it away. That’s how hard our lives have been until the last few years. For anyone out there who is in the program or experiencing the same kinds of challenges I’ve had, I would tell them to be patient and not too hard on yourself. Nothing happens overnight, but you will see progress at the end of the day.”