For work, Jonathan drives a garbage truck on neighborhood routes throughout Henderson County. Madison is a stay-at-home mom to the couple’s two preschoolers. While the family qualifies for income-based housing, waitlists are long and they’ve struggled to find an open unit to move into. They did, for a while, live in an affordable housing unit in Waynesville, but the distance from their familial support system, and the commuting time and expense each day, made that apartment an unsustainable option.
At one point, the family also pursued an opportunity to purchase a mobile home, a lead Jonathan felt optimistic about. They needed a $100,000 loan to do so, and unfortunately, were unable to find a lender willing to finance the home, due to its age and condition. For the past few years, Jonathan and Madison have been living with Madison’s father, stepmother and grandmother. While they enjoy being close to their family, the living arrangements are crowded. The couple, plus their two children, all share one bedroom together.
“This house is where we’ll raise our children. It will be a place to call our own.”
The alternative, Jonathan points out, is paying $1,500 per month in rent. For these young parents, sharing a bedroom as a family of four is a small price to pay for the stability it affords their children. They dream, though, of a home where their children have space to dump out their toys on the floor and play. Madison hopes to craft the classic childhood experience for her son and daughter, including adopting a puppy, which is something they have dreamed of for years, but haven’t been unable to do because of landlord restrictions.
