Janae and Her Family are Home!

Home, safe, warm, and together, is how Women’s Empowerment graduate, Janae Rodriguez, and her three beautiful children will celebrate the holidays this year – the way it should be.

But just a few years ago, Janae would have never imagined she would have her own place paying market-rate rent in Sacramento. Having encountered so many struggles as a young mom, including trauma and addiction, Janae so desperately wanted to overcome homelessness and have safety and stability for her family.

She worked hard throughout Women’s Empowerment’s job-readiness and empowerment program, and later enrolled in their paid job training. She met with the Social Worker and Employment Specialist regularly; she even got a job. Janae was doing everything right, yet still could not afford a place of her own.

Homelessness has increased 67% since 2019 in Sacramento, and with the active housing crisis, women like Janae must earn an average of $26 per hour to afford a standard one-bedroom apartment. Janae was not going to allow another roadblock on her journey.

She created a game plan with the Housing Specialist to tackle these barriers, Janae and her family were interviewed and selected for Women’s Empowerment’s pilot housing program. It offered a transitional home for one year with rent increasing over time.

“This program helped me in a million ways. They taught me how to be a good tenant, repair my credit, build my savings, and stick to a budget. It was a safe place to grow.”

All of Janae’s struggles for affordable housing were coming to a close, and right in time for Janae to welcome her third child, a beautiful baby girl. Because of her hard work and diligence, Janae recently moved her family into a cozy home to call their own. She is happy, proud, and looking forward to starting this new chapter with her family.

By remembering Women’s Empowerment in your giving as we enter the new year, you can help us meet some of the most critical needs this community has ever faced: the need for stability, empowerment, and housing opportunities. Your gift can turn the page for hundreds of unhoused women, mothers, and families like Janae’s, helping them find their strength, self-reliance, and a place to call home for the holidays.