Yanette's Story

When Yanette lost her job at a local bakery, she was crushed. Her high-risk pregnancy was getting more and more challenging, and she wasn’t sure how she would care for her baby and her two-year-old son. Estranged from her mother, she moved in with her boyfriend and his roommate. When the friend sold their home unexpectedly, the couple was forced to find another place to live.

With no one to lean on, the family lived in their car: a sedan with a busted transmission that they sometimes had to push around. During Yanette’s pregnancy, Pierre worked odd jobs to bring in whatever cash he could. They lived in their car for two months before another family told them about LA Family Housing.

LAFH immediately placed them in a motel close to a grocery store and Yanette’s hospital. With resources nearby, Yanette didn’t feel as isolated and concerned about her pregnancy, for which she needed frequent checkups. LA Family Housing also provided her with baby products, a stroller, food, and other basic needs. Pierre began working with the LAFH employment team to increase his income. When she was able to go back to work, Yanette started at a retail store to make ends meet. LA Family Housing supported the couple through the housing process for 18 months before they found an affordable place to live.

“We were so excited. The first thing Nicholas did was run into his room.”

Yanette’s family moved into their new home just in time to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday. Now the boys can play in their room, and Yanette can bake, a passion that she wants to pursue in the future. Most rewarding is that she and her mother have reconciled, and now she visits her grandchildren in their new home.