State of the Community
Our latest State of the Community highlights many new exciting updates on our work, from a presentation introducing the new Transformative Services Department to the
Keep Good Going
Read some of the many inspiring success stories of personal transformation and Beyond Housing’s new Transformative Services Department designed to remove the barriers of poverty more effectively.
Phillip Barry
Philip Barry is an inspiration to everyone he meets with a passion for life that is contagious. As one of Beyond Housing’s family engagement liaisons working in the Normandy schools, Philip has devoted his life to mentoring students on the importance of education and the mindset and work ethic it takes to succeed.
Philip never stops working for a better St. Louis for all.
Z’a’Chere Stringfellow
They wanted a place to live—but they found a source of lifelong enrichment
Although she moved from her Beyond Housing residence three years ago, Z’a’Chere Stringfellow still keeps a close eye on the nonprofit’s social media feeds. She’s inspired by what she sees: the entrepreneurship sessions, eateries in Carter Commons, activity around the 24:1 Cinema, and more.
“I am so in awe of what they stand for,” she said. “St. Louis and North County are so lucky to have this foundation of support.”
Ms. Stringfellow learned about Beyond Housing in 2009 when she visited a friend who lived in one of its rental homes. “I saw how lovely the home was, how well kept up it was, that it was less than five years old and in a good area,” she recalled. “I was looking for a home too. I wanted a place where my children could go in their yard and play. I came from a place where I was renting from people who just collected your rent money and came to fix things and that was it. There was no relationship.”
So she applied for housing, and in 2010 she was approved to move into a rental home in Pagedale. “I wasn’t a tenant—I was family,” she said. “I felt cared for. I felt valued. I felt loved no matter what we were going through.”
A memory that stands out from that time was the bedroom set her two young daughters received from Beyond Housing’s longtime partner, Build-A-Bear. “It was so beautiful,” she said. “A bedroom set that any girl would love.”
Eventually, she felt it was time to invest more fully in her family’s economic security and create generational wealth for her daughters by purchasing a home. “Beyond Housing staff couldn’t have been more excited for me,” she said, “because that’s their mission, to get people from renting to homeownership.”
She got up to speed on financial knowledge through Beyond Housing’s credit repair and homeownership programs. “I had to take seriously things like getting my credit together,” she said. “There are so many intricate pieces that you need to understand, like your conventional and FHA loans, your mortgage contract, the whole nine.”
Despite all her preparation and determination, she found the homebuying journey to be extremely hard. “I understand why people have anxiety and have to fight to keep going,” she said. It was at the height of the pandemic buying boom, and home seekers were routinely offering thousands of dollars above the asking price. She wondered if sellers were wary of her FHA loan.
When she finally found a seller who accepted her offer on a brick home in South city, near where she grew up, she said her stress actually compounded. “People need to understand that when you go under contract, that’s when the underwriter starts to dig into your financial history,” she explained. “We were two days from closing and still completing the underwriting. I was about to quit.”
“I cried so hard at the signing because I was about to give up,” she said. “I felt defeated.”
But she didn’t, and in the end, with $3,500 down payment assistance and help with closing costs from Beyond Housing, “I was blessed with a three-bedroom, two-bath home for me and my daughters,” she said. “I cried so hard at the signing because I was about to give up,” she said. “I felt defeated.” She encouraged others in that situation to “come with your boxing gloves on” and remember that the hard work will be worth it.
Today Ms. Stringfellow is proud that she’s established generational wealth for her daughters and that they’ll always have a home to come back to if they ever were to fall on hard times. She’s also proud of her two daughters. Her older daughter attends Washington University on a full ride, studying fashion design in the Sam Fox School of Design and Visual Arts. Her younger daughter will soon begin a nursing program on a full ride at UMSL in the Pierre Laclede Honors College.
Ms. Stringfellow always felt there was a strong sense of integrity underlying the Beyond Housing staff’s actions. “I tell everyone about them if they need a place to stay because of the quality of support you get,” she said. “They are so invested in anyone that comes through the door. They provide a safety net for you.”
Meredith Carr
A contented senior enjoys living—and working—in Pagedale
When Meredith Carr moved into Rosie Shields Manor more than 10 years ago, she was not retired yet from her job at Walmart, but she was looking for affordable senior housing—and the Pagedale apartment complex, completed by Beyond Housing in 2012, matched what she was looking for. She said she appreciates the responsiveness of the maintenance staff and is grateful that her rent has not increased.
She was looking for affordable housing.
Fast forward to 2018, and Ms. Carr was watching TV in her apartment when the building manager called and said, “They want you to come work at the movie theater.” Ms. Carr responded, “No they don’t, ‘cause I’m retired!”
But she was intrigued in spite of herself, and when one of her neighbors—who happens to manage the 24:1 Cinema just across the street from Rosie Shields Manor—asked her to lend a hand, she filled out the application. “And I’ve been there ever since.”
James Moyamba
From his small 4 x 5 foot office, James Moyamba has made a colossal impact on the lives of many. As the program coordinator of Beyond Housing’s Viking Advantage college savings program, James helps Normandy High School students navigate the college admissions process, source and receive financial aid, and more.
Working in just one part of our comprehensive efforts, James plays an important role in breaking the cycle of poverty that, in many cases, has existed for generations.
He is a big reason why the program has produced 157 college graduates since 2010, including 16 master’s degrees and one medical degree.
Latricia SanNicolas
Dog treat business gets a boost from entrepreneurship course
Latricia SanNicolas makes exquisite dog treats in her home kitchen that rival anything sold in bakeries for humans. All the products under her Barkery brand—cakes, cupcakes, cookies, donuts, dehydrated chews, jerky, and more—are made from natural, healthy, canine-safe ingredients.
Her customers turn to her for everyday goodies as well as specialty purchases for celebrations. Their pets seem to know something out of the ordinary is afoot when a Barkery treat is set in front of them. “Dogs will start licking it, and then they’ll really dig in if they see nobody tells them no or pulls them away.”
Ms. SanNicolas started on the road to business ownership in 2023 after being chosen as one of 10 early-stage entrepreneurs to participate in Beyond Housing’s inaugural Biz Smart Start program. She said that everything she learned in the 12 sessions—from startup business filings to taxes and marketing to financial management—has contributed to launching her business and its success. “The Beyond Housing program motivated me. Coming to class each week was the inspiration I needed to develop and start my dog treat business.”
She first learned of Beyond Housing when she was looking for housing in 2020, and she moved into a home in North St. Louis County in the fall of 2021. Then she learned about Biz Smart Start, which is geared toward residents of the 24:1 Community, in one of the Beyond Housing newsletters she regularly received and decided to apply.
“They are very community oriented, and I appreciate them for that.”
Program participants meet as a group weekly, with one-on-one mentorship and coaching sessions held during the week. On completing the program, each participant receives $1,000 plus an opportunity to compete in a pitch competition and win additional cash awards.
Ms. SanNicolas said her biggest challenge now is carving out time to make progress toward her goal of opening a storefront. In addition to working full-time at a national bank, she’s a busy mom of four children. She is still in touch with her mentor from the Biz Smart Start program and is in the process of setting up a website promoting her dog treats.
“Beyond Housing has made a huge impact with my housing and with being able to start my business,” Ms. SanNicolas said. “They are very community-oriented, and I appreciate them for that.”
Charlene Waller
A self-described workaholic purchases a home for retirement and relaxation
Charlene Waller’s experience demonstrates how quickly and smoothly the homeownership process can go when the buyer is determined and motivated—even during a global pandemic.
Ms. Waller and her son moved into a Beyond Housing rental home in December 2019. When the pandemic hit, her son lost his job, and their household income took a hit. They received financial assistance for rent and utilities, which helped tide them over.
Homeownership had always been a goal for Ms. Waller, and with the help of Beyond Housing’s Keys 2 Homeownership program and other resources, she made step-by-step progress. “The program for first-time homebuyers really helped me a lot as far as getting the down payment together and paying down my credit cards,” she said. “I was a shopaholic, but I put aside my credit cards.”
“The program for first-time homebuyers really helped me a lot.”
She also started taking a disciplined approach to money management in order to raise her credit score. She talked with her Beyond Housing advisor every other week on the phone to strategize how to budget her paychecks and keep on top of her bills. “I had to send monthly progress reports on my bill payments and other tasks,” she said. “They weren’t nosy, but they did help me with motivation and with understanding my next steps.”
Within a year and a half, she was ready to enter the housing market. “Once I started looking for the house, things went pretty fast and smoothly,” she said. She shopped with the guidelines that Beyond Housing had given her on the down payment and purchase price that were within her budget—and she didn’t have to look very long.
“When the realtor first showed my house to me, it was love at first sight,” Ms. Waller recalled. “There were three other people looking at it, but I put a bid on it anyway. It was a holiday weekend, so I didn’t expect to hear back until the following week. But we heard back the same night that we got the house.”
Beyond Housing provided her with financial assistance to pay the closing costs and down payment. “The checks really helped me as far as moving into a new home and a new environment,” she said.
Since purchasing the three-bedroom, two-bath home in the City of St. Louis in 2021, Ms. Waller has encountered some health issues. She has since retired from her physically demanding and sometimes stressful job. “I was doing housekeeping at BJC’s Missouri Baptist Hospital in the cardiac catheter lab,” she said, “and it could get pretty busy at times.”
As a self-described workaholic, she said, “I never had time to do anything but go to work and come home.” Now that she’s on her retirement journey, she has time to plant flowers in her backyard. Her son, who still lives with her, helps with the housework and does the heavy lifting like mowing the lawn.
Ms. Waller has one simple line of advice for others who may be considering the Keys 2 Homeownership program: “If you want to own your own home, go for your gold.”
Aniya Kollore
A star athlete earns her college degree
At Normandy High School, Aniya Kollore was a standout athlete who earned a scholarship to run track at Missouri Western State University. But even though her college tuition was taken care of, she appreciated the Viking Advantage matching funds program for helping educate her about other schools.
“I knew what school I was going to go to, but it was good to visit other colleges too, just in case my first choice didn’t work out.”
Viking Advantage was created to help families who live within the Normandy Schools Collaborative with college expenses. Each dollar deposited is matched with three dollars. Students can deposit up to $500, which will be matched with $1,500, giving them a total of $2,000 to use for post-secondary education. Participants also receive ACT entrance exam fees and prep support, assistance with college financial aid applications, and ongoing mentorship.
Ms. Kollore graduated in 2022 with a degree in construction engineering.
The assistance doesn’t stop there. Ms. Kollore, who earned a degree in construction engineering in 2022 and now lives and works in St. Louis, is working once again with a Viking Advantage coordinator―this time, to set up an individual development account, or IDA, to help her select and purchase a car.
Members of her extended family have also benefitted from Beyond Housing programs. Her sister purchased a car and received help with the registration and taxes. Her brother and a cousin also participated in Viking Advantage for help with college expenses. And her parent lives in Stratford Commons, an apartment complex that Beyond Housing now manages.
Frondell Green
To describe Frondell Green as an angel who walks among us would not be an overstatement. For families living at or below the poverty line who are struggling with challenges most of us will never know, Frondell provides a lifeline for people who have no one else to turn to.
Like all of Beyond Housing’s family engagement liaisons, she serves as the first point of contact for families who can benefit from our transformative services designed to stabilize and transform lives.
Her work is also vital for our collective future because the more St. Louisans who can thrive, the more successful our entire region becomes.
Hosea Covington, MD
A former child resident in a Beyond Housing rental home grows up to become an anesthesiologist
This summer, Dr. Hosea Covington is at the halfway mark of his residency in anesthesia and is studying for the upcoming board exam. He and his wife enjoy living in Madison, Wisconsin, and despite the long hours—residents work anywhere from 55 to 70 hours per week—he’s found time for a new hobby: sailing.
Growing up in a Beyond Housing rental home in North St. Louis County, he participated in the Viking Advantage program to help save money for college. He is the first program participant to go on to earn a medical degree. He has about two more years of study to complete before going into general practice.
During his residency, Dr. Covington has been focused on expanding his horizons, traveling, and building cultural competence among physicians about issues medicine faces in terms of racial equality and unconscious bias.
He feels that Beyond Housing’s staff helped support students like him in achieving their dreams.
“I think I’m where I’m supposed to be, and I’m very happy about that. I feel more confident and competent about the work I do—I feel like I can provide impact to patients.”
Dr. Covington said he has always been one to jump at an opportunity, and he feels that Beyond Housing’s staff helped support students like him in achieving their dreams. “It’s important to take time to think about what you want to do and how you want to get there rather than setting a goal without any preparation or planning,” he said.
“Medical school really challenged me,” he said. “I’d never been challenged to that extent in high school, college, or the military—none of that was as challenging as the things I had to adapt to personally in medical school. But to be able to see the fruits of my labor now is a very encouraging thing. And it feels great.”
Raykell Davis
Where would St. Louis be without people like Raykell Davis?
Raykell works with parents struggling with the many challenges of poverty, sometimes in their darkest hours. When hope seems lost, Raykell Davis shines a light. She takes the time to understand their struggles. She guides these families to transformative services that help them get back on their feet—and ultimately thrive.
It’s not a job. It’s a calling.
Raykell gives her best every single day to make St. Louis a better place for us all.
Kiera Swift
Leading her children and others toward successful careers
Kiera Swift runs a staffing and recruitment agency, and she knows not everyone is headed to college after graduating from high school. Some young people, one of her sons among them, want to work for a while as they consider their next steps. By contrast, her two older children completed tech school—one in automotive and the other in cosmetology—and have jobs in their fields.
Her younger son’s participation in Beyond Housing’s Viking Advantage college savings program, Ms. Swift stressed, was especially beneficial to her as a parent. “I really, really enjoyed it because they had so many informational seminars that parents really need, especially with the FAFSA and the scholarships,” she said.
“They had so many informational seminars that parents really need.”
Ms. Swift has participated in other Beyond Housing programs as well, such as its community engagement coalitions, and she looks forward to becoming involved in the 24:1 Small Business Network and in homebuyer education classes. She would also love to use her expertise to pay it forward and help individuals who receive Beyond Housing services become more successful in employment.
“My work involves helping people get established in their field of choice,” she said. “I want to do a four-part workshop over the course of a month where each week they’ll be learning something new about career readiness, because a lot of people don’t understand the fundamentals—for example, that you can’t talk to people in the workplace the same way you talk to people outside in public.”
Monica Williams
Stability leads to further education and bigger goals
Monica Williams credits Beyond Housing for providing her family with a safety net during challenging times that might have otherwise knocked her off course. Instead, she has been able to further her education—first as a licensed practical nurse in 2014 and then, in 2022, as a registered nurse. “We’ve been stable,” she said, ‘because I’ve been able to live in Beyond Housing homes. Paying affordable rent, I could save money for school.”
In addition to direct support from the financial assistance team, Beyond Housing’s housing resource coordinators connected her with other resources, such as rental assistance during the pandemic when she was out of work after getting sick with COVID. They also encouraged her to negotiate on her car payments and gave her good advice on budgeting. “I had such a rapport,” she recalled. “They called and checked on you and told you about resources.”
“Paying affordable rent, I could save money for school.”
As a mother of four, Ms. Williams is especially impressed with the Normandy Early Childhood Center, which her 5-year-old attended. She feels it’s a bright spot in a district that has often struggled.
Ms. Williams and her family recently moved out of their Beyond Housing home in Pine Lawn and now rent in University City. She is looking forward to a long-term goal of homeownership, using the financial tools she acquired during her years with Beyond Housing.
Michelle Byrd
Entrepreneur brings compassion to all her endeavors
Michelle Byrd has an intrinsic ability to bring people of every age group together. She’s held teaching roles in early childhood education, and since earning a bachelor’s degree in music education with an emphasis in choral conducting from the University of Missouri-St. Louis in 2018, she’s gained experience with older students as well. She currently works with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra as the IN UNISON Chorus programs manager.
She has also been braiding hair for the past 20 years because it brought her joy—and brought in a little extra income. In 2022, she took on more braiding customers to pay for her youngest daughter’s school tuition. Then, as her client base steadily grew, she founded Tender Love and Tresses in 2023. “Braiding hair came to be about more than paying tuition,” she said.
Still, she didn’t see herself as a business owner. “I always thought of myself as the hands and feet of other people’s operations,” she said. “I didn’t want to be the face.” That was before she saw a notice about Beyond Housing’s Biz Smart Start program that same year in a monthly e-newsletter. And she ended up gaining more than she expected.
“The classes [Biz Smart Start] gave me the confidence to be a business owner.”
The Biz Smart Start experience was designed for prospective entrepreneurs just starting to think about business ownership. Program topics include licensing, market research, banking, taxes, and more.
“I enjoyed the weekly guest speakers from different walks of life like Toastmasters and social media,” she said. “The classes gave me the confidence and desire to be a business owner.”
She’s now saving toward making Tender Love and Tresses her full-time employment within the next five years. In the meantime, she continues to work her day job with the symphony and to do her “heart’s work” on evenings and weekends.
“Biz Smart Start has been a godsend, not just for me, but for my clients as well, because I’ve been able to lean into these relationships more,” Ms. Byrd said.
Her eldest daughter is following in her mother’s footsteps, starting the music therapy program at Maryville University—a fact that makes her mother’s heart sing. “My daughters are my legacy,” she said.
Miecho Saffo
Life turns around when a family of four moves to Pagedale
In 2019, Miecho Saffo and her family received the surprise of a lifetime: a fully furnished home in Pagedale. Beyond Housing’s community health workers had referred Ms. Saffo to the rental team because their previous living conditions were exacerbating her children’s asthma.
Five years on, the family is thriving.
Five years on, the family is thriving. Her daughter works in the healthcare industry; her older son just graduated from Normandy High School and will attend Harris-Stowe State University; and her younger son will soon enter the seventh grade. And Ms. Saffo is researching courses to improve her computer software skills to get a better-paying job and springboard from their current home into a new one.
She was recently laid up for a month due to surgery, and she was able to use the time off for family-related pursuits such as online genealogy research for relatives in her hometown of Augusta, Georgia. “I need to keep myself occupied,” she said.
Snotrena Dethrow
Tapping into resilience to continue on a rocky homeownership journey
Beyond Housing’s comprehensive approach to community development has always acknowledged the reality of life’s ups and downs. For North St. Louis County resident Snotrena Dethrow, the ups have included purchasing a home in Florissant and having her homeownership journey featured in Beyond Housing’s 2020 annual report.
But not long afterward, “everything went downhill,” Ms. Dethrow said. An electrical fire severely damaged the home. It took many months—filled with disputes with the insurance company, upgrades to underground powerlines, and, on the plus side, forgivable loans from St. Louis County for essentials like a new hot water heater—for her home to be ready for her and her daughter to move back in.
But the many things her insurance company refused to pay for, such as cleaning her family’s smoke-scented clothes and repairing interior damage from the fire and water, left a dent in her financial well-being. In 2023, she listed her home for sale in order to recover some of the costs.
Although her circumstances forced her to move from the 24:1 Community, Beyond Housing continued to assist Ms. Dethrow in navigating the maze of insurance issues and getting referrals for contractors to do repair work.
“They will really be able to help you with the process, with getting your credit together, and with the down payment,” she explained. “It’s really worth it.”
“I feel like Beyond Housing has been heaven-sent,” she said. “When I was going through all that with the insurance company, I would call and ask them to point me in the right direction. I really appreciate that.”
During her time as a rental resident, Ms. Dethrow participated in the Holiday Friends gift-giving campaign and leased an office for her fledgling tax preparation business in the Rosie Shields Manor for no cost in exchange for providing tax assistance to seniors who lived in the building. She also participated in an individual development account, or IDA, toward starting her business.
Today, she still does some tax preparation work to supplement her income from her full-time job at U.S. Bank. But the house fire, as well as the recent loss of her mother, has slowed her plans to set up a full-time tax preparation business.
Even with these challenges, she still recommends participating in Beyond Housing’s homeownership courses. “They will really be able to help you with the process, with getting your credit together, and with the down payment,” she explained. “It’s really worth it.”
Laquette Collins
Shielding a family from the worst of life’s whirlwinds
For the past decade, Beyond Housing has provided a bedrock of stability for Laquette Collins and her family amid a whirlwind of changing circumstances. She first came to the nonprofit for housing in 2013 after being a live-in caregiver for her godparents. When her godfather passed away and her godmother needed to downsize the home, Ms. Collins and her three children moved to a Beyond Housing property in Hillsdale—and they’ve been there ever since.
“This is the longest I’ve ever lived anywhere,” Ms. Collins said. “I’ve had the best jobs and we’ve had the most opportunities for my kids and for me. Beyond Housing has been a great benefit.”
With a background in healthcare and in the culinary world, including ServSafe certification, Ms. Collins found plenty of opportunities to volunteer for Beyond Housing programs such as cooking classes and grocery store tours to teach both adults and children about healthy eating choices.
“I have a love for health, I have a love for kids, I have a love for the elderly, and I have a love for cooking, and I’ve used those interests to give back to the community through whatever avenue I was able,” Ms. Collins said. “Beyond Housing happens to be one of the biggest avenues where I was able to give back in every aspect.”
She also has encouraged her children to volunteer with her, for example, at cooking classes and events like Beyond the Backpack, the annual back-to-school celebration within the Normandy Schools Collaborative. Ms. Collins often ran the produce stand, selling or providing free fruits and vegetables. “We helped wherever we were needed,” she said.
But the pandemic put a halt to her volunteer activities. “I had to stop doing everything I loved,” Ms. Collins said. She ended up working as an Instacart shopper, which was physically taxing work that exacerbated some of her own longstanding health challenges. But with her knowledge of food, health, and hospitality, she excelled in the position and was promoted after she learned the ropes.
Then tragedy struck again. A 2021 car accident forced her onto short-term and then long-term disability with Instacart. Suddenly, Ms. Collins and her family were on the receiving end of Beyond Housing programs, including the Holiday Friends gift-giving initiative, rental assistance, and eviction protection. “During this whole time I’ve been transitioning, Beyond Housing has definitely been a support for me and my kids,” she said.
Ms. Collins returned to the workforce in February 2024. “I’ve been hired back into the medical field at Mercy, doing patient access, which is scheduling and appointments, so it’s not physically demanding on my body,” she said.
And her children are thriving. Her older son, now 24, lives independently. Her 20-year-old son also has his own apartment and is working at a grocery store after deciding to postpone college for the time being. Her youngest child, a daughter, is a 2024 graduate of Grand Center Arts Academy and St. Louis Community College, where she earned an associate’s degree through the dual credit program.
Both the middle and youngest child participated in the Viking Advantage program, which provides matching funds for college tuition as well as assistance with standardized testing, college applications, scholarships, and more.
“Because of Viking Advantage, both my son and daughter have IDAs,” Ms. Collins said. “They are active with helping my daughter with her next steps for college, even though she did dual enrollment, and they’re helping her with career exploration and opportunities.” For example, she recently went to a healthcare careers workshop in Clayton with students from across the metro area. Viking Advantage facilitated attendance for students from the 24:1 footprint.
Ms. Collins said her daughter plans to attend St. Louis Community College-Forest Park in the sonography radiology program. “She wants to do ultrasounds for pregnant moms and babies.”
She’s not certain her family’s trajectory would have been the same without Beyond Housing’s support—all the way up to President and CEO Chris Krehmeyer, who knows the family and checks in on them periodically. “He always has hugs for us,” Ms. Collins said.
“Since we’ve started with Beyond Housing, we’ve definitely been more self-sufficient and stable.”
“Since we’ve started with Beyond Housing, we’ve definitely been more self-sufficient and stable,” she said. Her daughter is encouraging her to start exploring the homeownership program, but Ms. Collins said she’s not quite ready yet. Still, she knows that “even once we leave, Beyond Housing will always be our family.”
Domonique Edwards
A new home for a new baby leads to new opportunities to thrive
Within the span of three years, Domonique Edwards went from being a pregnant mom without paid maternity leave to being a homeowner, thanks to a combination of her own tenacity and Beyond Housing’s timely intervention. The organization’s holistic service model helped her keep her family housed, healthy, and thriving.
Ms. Edwards found Beyond Housing via an online search. She completed an application and was immediately accepted. Serendipitously, several new homes off Jennings Station Road were nearly ready for families. Ms. Edwards and her 8-year-old daughter moved into one of them a month before her son was born in July 2019.
At the time, she was working at a health insurance company, but she hadn’t been on the job long enough to qualify for paid maternity leave. “Beyond Housing put me in touch with Nurses for Newborns,” she said. “They literally paid my rent and my car note. They brought me diapers and wipes. They were amazing.” Beyond Housing staff helped her enroll in MSD’s reduced payment program, provided support around breastfeeding, and checked in with development information for her newborn son and older daughter.
Within the span of three years, she went from being a pregnant mom without paid maternity leave to a homeowner.
Ms. Edwards soon returned to work, but within six months, the COVID pandemic hit and her employer laid her off. Like many other families in the 24:1 Community who suddenly found themselves without an income, she turned to Beyond Housing for rent assistance and food drop-off deliveries to her porch.
Fortunately, within a few weeks, she found and landed a job as a clinical coordinator with another health insurance company.
By 2021, Ms. Edwards was well on her way toward fulfilling her dream of owning her own home. She participated in the Keys to Homeownership program, working with an advisor and attending seminars and homebuyer courses to guide her through the process. During that time, she found a home she wanted to buy. With the down payment assistance she received after completing the homeownership courses and a well-timed income tax refund check, Ms. Edwards was ready to close on her new home in March 2022.
She credits Beyond Housing’s staff with helping her sort through all the challenges and decisions, even while she wrapped up her tenure as a renter. “They were amazing the whole time,” she said. “I really enjoyed staying with them.”
Two years on, her kids, now ages 12 and 5, still love their house. Their mom enjoys it too—most of the time. “It’s definitely stressful being a homeowner,” she said. “But I’m making it. I’m going to be OK.” She added that one of the invaluable long-term takeaways from Beyond Housing’s financial education classes is her ability to better manage her money.
Ms. Edwards continues to advocate for Beyond Housing’s services and staff with everyone she knows. And she has returned a couple of times to share her success story with prospective homebuyers who are taking the homeownership classes.
“I feel more stable and self-sufficient, especially after what I went through with not having maternity leave,” she reflected. I had that brand new home, and it was affordable, and if I ever needed help, they were there. I feel like I was put with Beyond Housing for a reason.”
Keep Good Going
Subscribe to our Newsletter
Get the latest on our ongoing work
Latest
Read the latest news and stories about our work.
Head of Philanthropy Dana Pownall Relishes Introducing People to Beyond Housing’s Comprehensive Approach
“I realized bringing people together and inspiring enthusiasm in them for a shared cause was more enjoyable to me.”
A New Leap Forward for Change: Beyond Housing’s Transformative Services Department
The new department is designed to remove the barriers imposed by systemic poverty to help low-income St. Louisans achieve economic mobility more effectively—strengthening under-resourced communities and also the greater St. Louis region.
