Marisa is a longtime Sonoma County resident and a single mom of four children. She’s grateful that she can raise her family in the area, but if it wasn’t for affordable housing, Marisa would not be where she is today.
Marisa and her children moved to Idaho in 2012, where her sister lives, after her husband passed away. However, Marisa yearned to return to California and be closer to the rest of her family, and so in 2015 they moved backed to Sonoma.
They lived in a tiny two-bedroom apartment, But by the following year, the rent was raised and it became unaffordable. Marisa was six months pregnant with her youngest daughter, and she was let go from her job with the school district. Everything was happening at once and she was barely making it. Marisa thought they had to move yet again because there was no way she could provide for her family and better their lives if she was stuck working several lower paying part-time jobs just to scrape by. Marisa was at her wit’s end.
Marisa would see Fetters Apartments in construction as she drove up Highway 12, and she added my name on the interest list. In fact, so many of her friends and neighbors added their names – the need for affordable housing is so great. She was happily surprised to get the letter that her family was selected to live at Fetters.
Having an affordable home means that Marisa can focus on improving her and her children’s lives – not just make ends meet. Since moving to Fetters, Marisa has enrolled at City College full-time with plans to transfer to Sonoma State. She also works part-time to cover all of her costs, including rent and daycare.
“Having this weight lifted off my shoulders has given me the ability to stand tall and reach higher,” Marisa says. “I can say that living at Fetters is the best thing to have happened to us.”