To Be Able To Come Home and Turn It Off

... it has done wonders for me.

Cheranda Curtis is the youngest of six siblings. Her mother struggled with mental health issues and attempted to kill Curtis and two of her sisters when they were little girls. The three sisters went to a foster home, where Curtis continued to be abused. Then she and her sisters were separated in foster care.

^{Cheranda Curtis calls her studio apartment her “sanctuary.” Having an affordable place to live has given Curtis the opportunity to stay sober, hold a steady job and save for a house.}

“From like that day, in my head it was always just me,” Curtis said. “By ninth grade I was a full blown alcoholic.”

Curtis has been sober for nearly five years. She attributes her sobriety and her stable job to having a safe and affordable apartment, where she can unwind and take care of herself. She’s saving to buy a home – something she never imagined.

“Having that affordable housing piece made all of that possible,” Curtis said.

^{Cheranda’s story is part of Metro’s Dispatches: 8 voices on why affordable homes matter for greater Portland. Read more stories here.}