Philadelphia woman saves for a home
Saving for a Home of Her Own
For the better part of five years, Christina Doyle has been trying to get her finances in order. A single mother of two children with no child support, a limited income, and chronic health problems, she faced an uphill battle.
“I just got so frustrated with almost catching up, then something happens and everything gets screwed up,” Ms. Doyle said. “I’d get depressed and hit rock bottom and wouldn’t do anything about it for a while. Then I’d start up again. I just wanted the bills paid.”
About a year ago, she was attending a workshop on basic banking and saving information sponsored by Dignity Housing, a subsidized housing program that also offers life skills workshops. At the workshop, she picked up a pamphlet on Philadelphia Saves.
She had some reservations about contacting the campaign. “I’m a very independent person. I don’t like asking for help too much,” she said, adding that she felt like needing help was a sign of “bad character.”
But, she braced herself for the criticism she expected and sent in the coupon asking for more information about the program. “I figured, whatever they have to say to me – that I’ve done everything all wrong – I’ll just take it.” The warm and helpful response she got from Philadelphia Saves Project Coordinator Christine Slovic came as a pleasant surprise. “It helped that Christine was so nice,” she said.
Saves got her started with a pre-purchase homeownership program offered by Consumer Credit Counseling Service. “I went in to get a budget,” she said, and they also pulled up a copy of her credit report. “They just basically worked slowly with me,” walking her through the process of clearing up her credit record.
“When I tried in the past, I always looked at it like, I have to get it done all at once and ended up stressing myself out,” she said. The CCCS adviser helped her see that she needed to take things one step at a time, telling her, “You can’t get to the end without first starting somewhere.”
A year later she has just one outstanding bill left, which she expects to pay off in February when she gets her income tax refund. “One more thing, and I’m done. I’m so happy,” she said. Then she plans to start saving toward her ultimate goal, buying her own home.
With no fat in her budget, she plans on saving the remainder of her income tax refund, whatever she can from her paycheck, and any extra money she can earn babysitting and taking on other jobs. She also plans to take advantage of the homeownership workshops and materials that Philadelphia Saves offers. “I’m hoping by next year I’ll have enough saved and enough information to start looking for a home.”
“When I tried in the past, I always looked at it like, I have to get it done all at once.” --Christina Doyle