The Best Feeling in the World

In 2018, Sherina and her two children were living at Jordan Downs in public housing that had endured decades of deferred maintenance and disinvestment.

When she first shared her story with BRIDGE (watch video), Sherina was making strides toward building a better future for her family. She had landed a job as a Section 3 Local Hire Administrative Assistant, recruiting construction workers from the community to build the first phase of replacement housing: Cedar Grove at Jordan Downs. As they watched the buildings rise, the family hoped that one of the new apartments might someday be theirs.

Finally, after many months and lots of paperwork, the big day arrived in late 2019: Sherina signed the lease to her brand new apartment at Cedar Grove. As soon as Sherina received the keys, she and the kids moved right in.

“We literally moved everything in that first day,” she said. “Then it was like, we’re here! Looking out the window, I thought OMG, this is really wonderful. The best feeling in the world is to feel comfortable at home.”

The family’s new home is “much better and more spacious, and we don’t have to worry about mice and roaches anymore.” Sherina especially loves the kitchen and appliances, and she also appreciates the new retail center, Freedom Plaza, which is part of the Jordan Downs master revitalization plan.

When she lived in her old place, Sherina was too embarrassed to invite friends and family to visit. Now, she said, “it feels really good to have people come over. I made a big Thanksgiving dinner for my family. Everyone who comes over feels at home.”