After Emily Doyle got divorced in 2011, she had trouble making ends meet as a single mom of three who worked for a local nonprofit. She received food stamps and child-care assistance but still couldn’t afford a three-bedroom apartment for her, her two daughters and son in Lexington, so she was forced to stay in Winchester.
“I continued to look in Lexington because I have three biracial children and wanted them to have the opportunity to be around all types of kids. I felt like giving up.”
After she took a new job that paid more, Emily discovered that she made too much for child-care and food assistance. She would never be able to afford an apartment in Lexington.
In 2015, Emily turned to a friend in real estate who showed her that she could actually afford to buy instead of rent. She found a house in the 40509 zip code for $119,000 and a mortgage of $855 per month. If she were buying that same house today, she would never be able to afford the payments. The house today would be $250,000 with a mortgage, taxes and insurance costing almost $2,000 per month.
“I was frustrated by the lack of safe options. I can’t imagine what that looks like now. Today, I wouldn’t even be able to afford a two-bedroom house. There’s no way I would be in the house I’m in if I had to buy it today.”
Because they are in Lexington, her children have been able to participate in a school mentorship program, where they saw and learned from diverse entrepreneurs.
“No matter where we’re forced to live, our kids should be around successful people. That gives me hope. I want that hope for everyone.”