Housing support, mentoring help single mom get back on track

When her wage level prevented “Natalie” and her children from qualifying for state benefits but was not high enough to prevent serious financial burden, housing support and mentoring from FamilyForward helped her break the cycle of debt and get back on track.

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“Natalie” works in the billing department of a major insurance company, and she earns a decent wage. However, following the end of her marriage, she struggled to make ends meet. Her wage level was too high to qualify for state-sponsored health insurance, and paying to cover her two children with health insurance through her employer resulted in a significant decrease in take-home pay.

Natalie’s wage level also disqualified her from receiving SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as food stamps) benefits, and the children’s father was inconsistent with paying child support. Meanwhile, her landlord continued to raise the rent each year. Still, Natalie was determined to keep her two children in the same school district to preserve their academic and social stability.

Living in survival mode leads to insurmountable debt

When the cost of rent became unmanageable, Natalie arranged with the apartment management office to split her rent into two payments each month. By paying part of the rent from each paycheck, she was able to get by. But when the apartment complex was sold, the new owner refused to allow split payments. With so many bills due and limited cash on hand, Natalie found it increasingly difficult to cover both rent and her car payment in full and on time.

Eventually, she began relying on credit cards to stay afloat. As the debt piled up, she felt trapped — always behind, never able to catch up.

When Natalie applied to FamilyForward, she had accumulated significant debt. Her monthly expenses were inflated by penalty fees and interest charges. She felt overwhelmed and defeated. It wasn’t a lack of financial knowledge that held her back, it was the stress, shame, and embarrassment that made it hard to even begin sorting through the bills.

Housing support provides breathing room

Once accepted into FamilyForward’s two-year program, Natalie and her children were no longer at risk of losing their housing. The program’s rent subsidy gave her some financial breathing room each month. With guidance from her two volunteer mentors, she began to pay off high-interest debt, slowly reduce her credit card balances, and contribute to an emergency fund. FamilyForward’s debt-reduction matching program helped her pay off some of her credit cards twice as fast.

Throughout her time in the program, Natalie faced many challenges. She dealt with a persistent health issue, mourned the loss of a close family member, and applied for a promotion at work—only to be turned down.

Despite these setbacks, Natalie made steady progress. By the time she graduated from the FamilyForward program, her credit score was the highest it had been in years.

Mentoring is key to financial turnaround

Natalie thanked and acknowledged her mentors for helping her to get back on track: “The mentoring equates to accountability, and for me that was extremely helpful. My mentors meet me where I am, set a high standard, challenge me, and make me feel as if they believe I will do the right thing. I have my dignity even though I require some help in life. I do not feel looked-down-upon for my mistakes. The more debt free I become, the more peaceful I am.”

Sometimes earning a decent wage is not enough for a hard-working parent to make ends meet. Often, single parents fall into the gap — earning too much for state assistance but not enough to support their family. With FamilyForward’s help, Natalie was able to get the temporary housing support she needed to cover the rent while she focused on decreasing debt and learning critically important budgeting and money-management skills from her mentors. Now she is back on track, providing for her children and maintaining a stable household.