Roles: Statistical Programmer, Former Research Assistant, Housing Navigator MA
Tell me a little about where you grew up?
I grew up living in Rindge Towers, now known as Fresh Pond Apartments, until I was 10 years old in apartment 6G. I lived with my parents and my brother in a two- bedroom apartment. So many people in such a little place, but it was always so much fun.
My dad would meet with his friends and cousins at a spot in the parking lot they called “anba pye bwa”, which translates to ‘under the tree’. This tree that stood in the far corner of next to the movie theaters was where the Haitians would gather to play dominos and a suspenseful game was always happening.
How did that experience shape you as a person?
Living at Rindge Towers made me very proud of my culture, and other people’s as well. I loved being surrounded by Haitian people, it was the best and helped me become fluent in Creole despite being born in the US. I’ve never been surrounded by so much family as often as when I lived there, which may be the reason why I hold family as such an important value in my life today.
Why is that housing important now?
People who can’t make absurd rents, sometimes because they are living paycheck to paycheck and rent is a majority of their paycheck, are frequently the people who need housing the most. Housing is extremely important – a necessity just like water – unfortunately, it isn’t as readily available. Families should be able to live without a heavy
burden of most of their check being eaten away just to live in a place with their families.
“I’ve never been surrounded by so much family as often as when I lived there, which may be the reason why I hold family as such an important value in my life today.”
