A Gift of Time

Monica is a single mother with a 7 year old daughter who recently called Family Promise in need of assistance. She had fallen behind due to a lapse in employment and her landlord was threatening her with eviction.

Our Family Case Manager, Denise, quickly determined that Monica was eligible for our help. Denise was particularly struck by Monica stating “this is all new to me, I have always paid my rent on time. I depleted my savings and still fell behind.”

It is not unusual for many working families to live paycheck to paycheck. Even with some savings, one emergency can spiral quickly into a potential eviction. According to an October 2022 report, 24% of New Jersey renters were behind on their rent payments. Landlords are growing impatient.

The decision was made to provide a month of homeless prevention (paying the rental arrears) and a month of rental assistance (paying for the current month’s rent) to enable this family to remain stably housed.  Now Monica has time to save for next month’s rent. The gift of time allowed her to both catch up and move forward.

Monica was extremely thankful for what Family Promise provided and is now back on her feet and on track with a brand new job.

Well done!