Valeria first came to Nantucket on vacation, and quickly fell in love with the island. Not long after her trip ended, she pined to come back. She moved to the island full-time a year later, quickly finding work and living with a friend. The kindness of the community made her feel at home immediately.

Eventually, Valeria found a studio apartment for herself and her small dog. Three years later, Valeria learned she was pregnant with her first child. Her son was born, and she was overjoyed at being a mother. But the walls of her studio seemed to be closing in on them. Baby items had taken over the apartment, and she felt she had no breathing room.

“It was like living in a cage,” Valeria recalls. “We needed more space, but the rental housing situation was horrible. There was so little choice. When I did find something, it was $3,000 per month for 2 rooms, plus utilities. Impossible for a working-class person!”

Valeria considered her options. She knew of families who split up, with a parent staying on Nantucket to work, and the children moving off-island. There were also some shared housing situations, where unrelated people share bedrooms or take turns sleeping on a couch. None of these scenarios were how Valeria imagined raising her child.

Valeria’s friend who was living in a Housing Nantucket rental saw Valeria struggling, and suggested she fill out an application.

“I got the application materials and completed the forms,” said Valeria. “It was easier than I thought. About a year later, I received the phone call that I was being considered for one of the new rentals. I was so relieved. It was the best news of the year!”

This month, Valeria and her son moved into their new, affordable two-bedroom apartment. Valeria teaches Spanish at two of the island’s private schools, and also works at a shop downtown. As a single mom, her life is full. But housing stress has been removed from her family’s plate.

“Children absorb stress from their parents, so less stress for me means less stress for my son,” Valeria said. “Thanks to Housing Nantucket, my son has a room of his own. We have an actual living room, and he has space to play. It’s a much healthier environment for us. We are so grateful.”

Housing Nantucket’s rental homes meet an important aspect of the island’s diverse housing needs. Your donations enable us to serve more Nantucket people. Thank you!