Brenda Lopez, a single mother of three in New Haven, Connecticut, keeps going on a kind of positive energy whose source she says comes directly from her wonderful children. Not surprisingly, all three, including her 17-year-old daughter Vanessa, radiate the same kind of positivity in turn.
The Lopezes may be of modest means, but their home environment couldn’t be more inspiring for an “ever-upward” attitude like theirs. They live at Quinnipiac Terrace, a New Haven housing complex that was awarded Connecticut’s Best Revitalization Project and served as a model community for Housing and Urban Development (HUD) projects across the country. Despite being in one of Connecticut’s poorest cities, Quinnipiac Terrace is idyllic. The colorful homes infuse this riverside urban community with a presence that is unmistakably cheerful and dignified.
Another source of joy for Brenda and her family is their Quinnipiac Terrace home, where they have lived for four years. More than half of the cost to redevelop Quinnipiac Terrace and its nearly 200 homes was provided through the use of Low Income Housing Tax Credits and tax-exempt bonds, organized through the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority. The project required real money, but the positive effect on the community is immeasurable. Repeating several times just how happy she is to be in her beautiful home, Brenda says, “the opportunity makes you want to do more—accomplish more.”
After spending 8 years in the severely distressed and crime-ridden public housing project that once stood on the site of her current home, the Lopezes are only looking forward. Brenda remains extraordinarily grateful for the opportunities she has been afforded and is hungry for new challenges. Like so many of her neighbors in Quinnipiac Terrace, she pays it forward everyday by not only demonstrating the pride and respect she has for her community, but in herself as well.
Armed with new found confidence and conviction, Brenda is preparing to enroll in classes to become a dental assistant, while Vanessa is looking forward to college next year to pursue her own career in healthcare.
To learn more about the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority, please visit their website.
For more information on Housing Credits and Housing Bonds, see our advocacy page.
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