Success Stories

Aleksandr Mazhukin Sets an Example

Aleksandr Mazhukin set the example for his family. He enrolled in the IDA program at Tacoma Housing Authority on October 27, 2006. On December 18, 2006, Mr. and Mrs. Mazhukin signed a Purchase and Sales Agreement with Quadrant Homes at Salishan. Over the following six months, Mr. and Mrs. Mazhukin completed homebuyer education classes and financial literacy classes. They also saved $500.00 that was matched with $3,500.00, (a 7-to-1 saving match) from THA's Homeownership Supportive Services grant.

A Positive Attitude Puts Goals Within Reach

She admits that her life struggles came in layers that she can't easily share and that she was afraid a lot of the time. But to meet Chanelle is to be inspired by her unstoppable determination and willingness to sacrifice to reach goals for the sake of her six-year-old son and three year-old-daughter.

Chanelle just bought a house this past August. You could say she put a lot of sweat equity into that purchase. "Don't be afraid to fall backward in order to move forward," is her advice.

She took a step back to examine the red flags that were popping up in her life. She decided that, despite all the risks, she needed to end her marriage and establish a better life for her children by taking them on a new journey. It turned out that journey was to begin with a six-month stay in a shelter. "It was frightening to face homelessness and not have a network of support or family living nearby. I started strategizing -- who can I talk to, where can I go to school, where can I get a job quickly."

So Chanelle went to Clover Park Technical College to build up her job skills, which meant juggling her class schedule and her ability to get help with day care for her kids. She was required to finish an unpaid internship to complete the program. Dollars were hard to come by and the demands of raising a family were abundant. "I didn"t want to take advantage of people but I had to borrow money from family and take out loans to get my certificate from college. I had to stay out of stores in order to save money. I traded kids' clothes with friends. I didn"t splurge or treat myself to luxuries. My children are my whole motivation and I want to let my kids see me go to work every day, dropping them off at day care, working my butt off so they can have a home to be in."

Chanelle credits her successes to determination and setting aside her fears to take action. "When people realize you are serious about your goals, they help you without expecting to be repaid. I was blessed to have my church, family and friends to help get me on my feet."

A counselor at the shelter suggested that she look into a program at the Pierce County Housing Authority called Family Self-Sufficiency. “The FSS counselor was full of resources and she will go out and find answers if she doesn't have them herself. Her positive attitude makes you feel your goals aren't out of your reach. I was also in classes with a group of people going through the same things I was. If you see that same kind of positive attitude coming from someone who was homeless, has kids and is trying to cope with feeding and keeping the kids clothed -- that helps the other people in that situation."

The FSS program also led Chanelle to another program: her Individual Development Account through Associated Ministries and the Pierce County Asset Building Coalition. With the IDA program, Chanelle's savings were matched dollar-for-dollar toward her goal of owning a home. Both FSS and the IDA required that Chanelle take financial education classes to learn how to manage her money effectively and a first-time home buyer class to get on the right track to getting a good mortgage for a home. She also got a course in visualizing a new normal for herself and her life, learning about how to affect her thinking and construct affirmations to achieve her goals.

Chanelle was able to establish a customer relationship with both Chase and US Bank. She had used payday lenders in the past and knows that"s an expensive financial alternative. She isn"t intimidated by banks anymore or by taking an honest look at her credit history. Chanelle took another step forward by asking the bank for financial planning information to continue her plan to learn about, understand, and apply her financial options. "The struggle isn't over."

"Even though I"m in a nice house, I'm setting a goal to get more education, earn more money and open a spot for someone else. You"re supposed to grow with opportunity. I want to support my own mortgage without my FSS subsidy. I don"t want to tie up funds that can be used for someone else."

Chanelle loves her job and is proud to be part of the medical profession. She plans to someday get her degree in medical sonography at Tacoma Community College and earn a living that keeps her family self-sufficient.

Seeing her daughter show off her new bedroom and her son bounce on his bed is another inspiration. "The world would be a whole lot better if we pay attention to the example we set for our kids. They watch everything we do -- they"re like sponges. If we put them in a home environment but they can"t use their parents as an example, their world will be a lot harder, especially being in a minority. When you change and your attitude changes, when you let go of bitterness and don't count on everyone solving your problems but take control of your own direction, you become more empowered and others are more willing to help."

For More Information About These Programs:

Family Self-Sufficiency Program: Maggie Gardner, Pierce County Housing Authority, (253) 620-5474

Individual Development Program: Barbara Gorzinski, Associated Ministries, (253) 383-3056 x118

Financial Education “Key to Change”: Dani Small, Tacoma Goodwill, (253) 241-0023

First-time Homebuyer Education: Washington Housing Finance Commission, www.wshfc.org

STEPS (Steps to Economic & Personal Success): The Pacific Institute, www.thepacificinstitute.us