A Safe Home Makes Everything Easier to Tackle

Opening doors for families when and where they need it most

*Name has been changed to protect the identity of the program participant

When *Allison was uprooted from her life, she found herself in need of a home and a fresh start for her and her children. Through Trellis’ support and partnerships in the community, Allison was connected to a compassionate landlord who gave her a chance to rebuild her life.

Allison had lived with an abusive partner during what she describes as “the worst years of my life.” Her situation came to a head when her partner moved out and stopped helping with their house payments. Although Allison had a stable fulltime job, she struggled to keep up with the bills. The overwhelming debt left her with no other options. She filed for bankruptcy, and her house was put into foreclosure.

Allison struggled to cope with losing her home on top of ending her marriage and caring for her children. When she accessed Trellis’ Sustainable Families program, their first priority was to find a safe place for Allison and her children to live.

Looking for a place to call home

Trellis would support Allison with the damage deposit and first month’s rent, but they needed to find the right landlord. Allison recalls “looking at so many rental properties and talking to so many landlords” who turned her down when they found out she had rental assistance.

The search for a home continued for several months until they came across a posting that looked perfect. It was an affordable house in a good neighbourhood, and it had lots of space for the whole family. They set up a viewing, but when Allison saw the place, she felt unsure about submitting yet another application.

“There were multiple people looking at the property. I thought, ‘there’s no way I’m going to get this beautiful house,’” Allison says.

The landlord was very receptive when Trellis staff explained the supports available for Allison and how they would be working together. She and her husband had been landlords for only a few years, but they had built good relationships with their tenants. During the pandemic lockdown when a few tenants lost their jobs, they “made every effort to work with them in terms of their life circumstances.”

When the landlord met Allison in person, she empathized with her situation and decided to take her on as a tenant.

“I was happy to give her that chance,” Allison’s landlord says. “When I was going through a difficult time, a lot of people gave me a chance, and my life is completely different now than it was 12 years ago. I suspect that will be the case for her too.”

Allison was completely stunned when she learned she had been accepted.

“I went from shock to happiness,” Allison says. “I was just so grateful.”

A new beginning

Since settling into her new home, Allison has been able to focus on other important areas in her life. She takes better care of herself, and through family counselling with

Trellis, Allison has been able to bring her family closer together.

“With everything that was going on, I didn’t feel like I was necessarily there for my children mentally. Counselling has helped repair a lot of things between the kids.”

Allison has continued to connect with Trellis supports, such as weekly meetings with a Sustainable Families support worker, assistance with her taxes and hiring a tutor for her kids, which she says has led to “huge improvements.”

“Everybody who works at Trellis has been so amazing. It’s a team effort.”

Allison is especially thankful for the consistent care from her landlord, who is always quick to respond whenever Allison needs help around her home.

“Life is looking beautiful,” Allison says. “There are still many hurdles, but the fact that I feel safe in my home has made it so much easier to tackle everything.”

Are you a landlord in Calgary? Learn how you can partner with Trellis to help young people and families on their journey to flourishing!