This story was provided by Heartland Housing Foundation to share the positive impact of housing affordability initiatives in our community.

My fiancé works in Sherwood Park, and I work out of town on shift work. Her job is great, pays ok, and works well around our childcare needs for our little girl who has special needs. Our daughter’s care network here is supportive, and we have my fiancé’s mom nearby for emergencies. Leaving Sherwood Park would mean all of that would be gone.

Even though we both work, we don’t have enough for a house of our own, and every year our rent kept rising and rising. It was getting bad, like having to go to the foodbank bad. We were so stressed out that we would have to move away from everything we built here and all the support for our daughter.

When we got the call that there was a 2-bedroom apartment at Silver Birch Court, it was like winning the lottery. Now our rent is reasonable enough that we don’t need to stress about how to pay our other bills, or for groceries. We still live close to my fiancé’s mom and to her job, and my daughter got to stay in the school where all her supports are. It’s like the weight of the world is off our shoulders.

Visit strathcona.ca/APlaceToCallHome to learn more about housing affordability in Strathcona County.