When Nina Teasley took the podium at the ribbon cutting for The Residences at Forest Glen, she shared more than her gratitude, she shared a story of resilience, community, and a new beginning.
Teasley grew up in Ohio, where she raised four children. When her marriage ended, she said, so did her financial security. “I hadn’t paid into social security. I had no retirement plan. And the divorce meant I had to start over. And I did.”
Teasley moved to Montgomery County, Maryland, to be near her grown daughters. She began working for a nonprofit that
helped women find second careers, but even with her job, her income didn’t stretch enough to cover her costs. She found rentals, “but not in places where I felt safe.” She took on a roommate to help cover expenses, and when Teasley left town for a trip, she expected her roommate to deliver the rent. Instead, she moved out, and Teasley returned home to an eviction notice.
She scrambled to pay the back rent, “but that mark followed me everywhere” as she applied for new housing. “Doors kept closing. No one wanted to hear my story.”
Montgomery Housing Partnership listened, she said, as did council members. And she became one of the 189 people approved for a state-of-the-art apartment home at Forest Glen. “Thank you for seeing me as a person and not just a file,” she said. “Thanks to everyone who made this home possible. You are the reason why I’m here and I will continue to pass it forward to the best of my ability. I believe we are all worthy of dignity, stability and a place to call home.”
Building safe and affordable homes
Across the NeighborWorks network, local organizations are helping residents like Teasley turn hope into home. NeighborWorks® America, a Congressionally chartered nonprofit, supports nearly 250 network organizations working to expand affordable housing and strengthen communities nationwide. 
When MHP, a NeighborWorks network organization since 2002, acquired the Silver Spring property at the corner of Belvedere Boulevard and Forest Glen Avenue, the apartments were showing their age, recalled Executive Director Robert A. Goldman. But the organization had the vision that the property could serve the community and become a beacon of hope for families making lower incomes in Montgomery County. As they began redevelopment, down went the 72-unit dilapidated building. Up went 189 affordable apartment homes, in walking distance to the Forest Glen metro station.
The proximity to public transit was something highlighted by nearly every speaker at the ribbon-cutting ceremony last week. Accessibility to transportation can serve as an on ramp to jobs and education.
The investment was sizable: $100 million from a combination of partners, including the county and state. “With this amazing investment we are witnessing the realization of a project that will uplift the lives of families for years to come,” Goldman said. “It also proves that through strong partnerships, we can achieve great things together.” 
The building includes courtyards – one with a playground and one with grills and community garden space – along with club rooms, a fitness center, a business center and more. Each apartment has a washer and dryer and floor-to-ceiling windows. The building meets National Green Building standards.
“These benefits should not just be enjoyed by the well off but should be enjoyed by people of all incomes,” Goldman said. The apartments are reserved for people making between 30% and 60% of the area mean income (AMI), and rental costs vary according to income and AMI designation.
The goal, Goldman said, is to provide affordable and supportive housing “and a supportive place to call home for our teachers, our firefighters, our health providers, construction workers, retail employees and others. They play an essential role in our community.”
The organization is continuing to follow through on a commitment to bring affordable hoes to Silver Spring and Wheaton. On Thursday, two days after the ribbon cutting, the organization announced that it had acquired Bethany House, a 250-unit development for older adults with very low incomes in Rockville.
Acquiring and preserving affordable homes is important to NeighborWorks and the network, and is another example of how, together, the organizations create homes and build America. MHP alone has developed more than 3,000 homes in Montgomery County and the surrounding communities.
“This is quite an achievement, for MHP to make home possible for all,” said Jan Brown, a resident, MHP board member, and honorary campaign co-chair.
Residents will have access to support programs, including food distribution and after school programming. “The Residences at Forest Glen is not a success unless the families who live here are succeeding at life,” Goldman explained.
