Posted on February 18, 2022
When middle school English teacher Lisa Stringfellow moved back to Boston after getting divorced, she couldn’t afford to buy a home. She and her three children moved into her mother’s house. She and younger daughter, Althea, lived in the basement (pictured top right) with a convertible sofa bed and a kitchenette on the other side. Son, Benjamin used a twin bed in the converted garage and older daughter Michaela slept in Stringfellow’s childhood bedroom.
While reducing debt and putting money away in savings, Stringfellow attended homebuyer classes sponsored by Massachusetts Affordable Housing Alliance (MAHA) and decided that an MHP ONE Mortgage loan from Citizens Bank was the best choice for her. Stringfellow’s children are on the autism spectrum. In her new home, she has room for a mini trampoline, which twins Althea and Benjamin use for exercise and to alleviate stress.
Benjamin likes to collect paper and draw on it. At her mother’s home Stringfellow had to be careful not to leave personal papers or mail where her son could get to it. Now, each family member has their own private space.
The living room is one of the favorite places for the family to gather, to listen to Michaela play the violin or just to hang out.
Stringfellow has added a deck to the back of the house, where she enjoys relaxing with the children. She sees many more possibilities for home improvements.
“The world is brighter,” said Stringfellow, who is also a debut novelist and has a mini childrens library in her front yard. “Despite whatever hardships I have in my daily life, having a stable place to live that is mine, brings me joy. I am also happy that children will have this story, especially children of color that don’t often see themselves represented in books.”
(Note: Photos by Mel Ostrow. Photo captions by MHP Communications Coordinator Lisa Braxton. For more, watch this video or read Braxton's interview with Lisa Stringfellow about how she was able to buy a home with ONE Mortgage).