Rescued Building Becomes Home For Once Homeless

By Natalie Neumann

Four homeless families have new homes in Takoma Park, Maryland. Their building was rescued from the foreclosure list.

Theresa Holston takes the first steps into her new home. Holston has been living in a homeless shelter since before her four month old baby, Layla, was born. But with the help of the Montgomery County Coalition for the Homeless, she now has her own furnished two bedroom apartment.

"I have a living room and I can do laundry when I want to. I wasn't expecting it to feel like home," says Holston.

Layla shrieks while she and her mother tour their new apartment with Sharan London. London is executive director for the coalition. The non-profit organization borrowed money from the County to purchase and renovate the four-apartment complex. London says when they looked into buying the building it was in foreclosure proceedings and had a barely functioning boiler system.

"But we looked beyond that problem and saw the potential," says London.

London says the home will help people like Holston get their feet on the ground.

And now that Holston is out of the homeless shelter she's focusing on other goals.

"I want to go to school and hopefully get a job again," she says.

In the meantime, Holston says she's excited to adjust to her new home.