Malissa needed a home for herself and Boxer, her Chihuahua-mix. She scanned the ads on Craigslist, and asked friends if they knew of a place she could rent, but was having no luck. Every time she learned of a vacancy, the rent was beyond her reach.

To make things worse, many otherwise friendly local landlords would only accept Boxer if Malissa paid an additional monthly rental amount.. Boxer is not only a pet, but also a registered emotional support dog, and Malissa needs to keep him by her side. Recent years had been difficult for Malissa, and she’d had more than her share of heartache.

She had recently ended a long-term abusive relationship. Although that had been a positive step in many ways, it put Malissa in a desperate place financially. She’d made some bad choices and was incarcerated several times. After that, her criminal record became just another barrier to housing, prompting several landlords to turn her down for a lease.

Melissa and daughter Jasmine, sharing holiday cheer — Malissa and daughter Jasmine, sharing holiday cheer

Still, Malissa kept searching. “I looked at awful places, dirty places,” she said. “I thought I had a chance of getting this one place…a terrible little place in a dangerous neighborhood. There was a fast-food restaurant downstairs, and everything was covered in grease…but I still didn’t qualify to get even that.”

Unable to find anything permanent, and facing life on the street, she found a shelter bed in Massachusetts, and stayed there for six months. Shelter life is difficult, but stable; Malissa’s life seemed to be turning in a positive direction, and she began to imagine steps she could take to get her own place again.

Then disaster struck. On February 29th, 2020, she received word that her only daughter Jasmine had passed away suddenly. Jasmine was only 23 years old, and the light of Malissa’s life. The loss was unbearable.

“She was my one and only daughter and it hurts me so much. Part of our dream together was to get an apartment and be able to live together.”

Malissa went to stay with her own mother, Jasmine’s grandmother, for a few days. They needed to be together to grieve, make funeral arrangements, and to help each other get through the loss of a beautiful young woman.

Malissa on the front steps of her new home

Due to her absence during those days, however, Malissa lost her bed at the shelter.

On the street again, Malissa found Bridges Domestic and Sexual Violence Support in Nashua. She was grateful to find a bed in their emergency shelter where she could stay safe and out of the weather. Bridges found her to be an excellent candidate for more permanent housing, and after nine months referred her to Harbor Care.

Malissa was in luck! Harbor Care had just purchased a new property in Nashua, and had units available. Housing Manager Sharon Brodeur had an apartment on the first floor that she thought would suit Malissa’s needs perfectly. Sharon says, “I remember when I showed Malissa the unit, and told her it was hers if she wanted it. She started crying with tears of happiness and relief.”

Malissa added, “It is amazing to have this housing opportunity! I feel especially blessed to have been able to move into this apartment after trying so hard and so long to find a home.”

Malissa and Boxer now have a forever home, with a rent that fits Malissa’s budget. Their new neighborhood is safe, close to shops and transportation, and has sidewalks for long walks in the evening. As Malissa tries to raise money to buy a headstone for Jasmine’s grave, and heal from the losses of the past year, she and Boxer have the comfort of each other.

Malissa and Boxer have found a happy ending, but many more in our community are struggling. In 2021, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development calculates that fair market rent in Nashua is currently $997 for an efficiency apartment, $1,147 for a one-bedroom, $1,511 for a two-bedroom, and $2,003 for a three-bedroom unit, although those familiar with the Nashua rental market will know that actual rents are generally substantially higher. Historically low vacancy rates are driving prices through the roof: a healthy vacancy rate is about 5%. Currently, Nashua’s vacancy rate is well below 1%, which means there is essentially no available housing. This puts everyone in a bind, especially low-income residents like Malissa.

If you want to help people in our community who are struggling to find safe, affordable house, please make a gift today. Find out more about all our programs at harborcarenh.org.

The Shelter of Each Other: Malissa and Boxer's Story