A Housing Story

TEAM works with Head Start on Housing and other available resources to help a local family find housing stability and self-sufficiency

Kayla and her young son Lance are just one example of the thousands of individuals and families TEAM has helped to find and keep safe, stable housing in our community. Kayla came to TEAM as Head Start parent – her son Lance was enrolled in TEAM’s toddler classroom, and Kayla was connected to a Family Support Specialist to assist her with personal goals and working towards increased self-sufficiency. Kayla had little-to-no support system to lean on and had recently become a single parent. She bravely jumped in and embraced every aspect of TEAM’s Head Start program, enrolled in TEAM’s GAIN (Gaining Access to Independence Now) job training certification program as well as became an active member of the Head Start Parent Policy Council.

Throughout Kayla’s active participation in the program, it became evident that her housing was unstable and ultimately not a safe environment for her or Lance. Through the Head Start of Housing initiative, a partnership with the Office of Early Childhood, National Center for Housing & Child Welfare, CT Dept. of Housing & TEAM, Kayla qualified for and become the recipient of an accelerated Section 8 housing voucher; one that would give her and Lance the opportunity to move into the newly developed, state of the art apartment complex in Shelton. Safe, affordable housing was one of Kayla’s initial goals for herself and her son when she came to TEAM and yet again, she achieved a success that she had often doubted she had the inner strength to do.

Kayla’s story is just one example of how TEAM works to holistically support families, and innovates with every available tool, resources and program to help individuals and families secure housing stability.