From Workshop Particpant to Intern!

inte8821 • August 4, 2016

Breia Snead and her Mom Carla Lesane participated in a Housing Matters workshop series called Growing Stronger Together in January of 2015. The series worked with mother and daughter pairs to set goals for budgets and savings, taught communication and listening skills and put training into practice with a cooking and healthy lifestyle session. It was the cooking class that featured an interview with both women in the Frederick News Post.

Fast forward 18 months and Breia began working as an intern with Frederick County Workforce Services and was placed at IHA. Her wages are paid through a county grant which also provided training in resume writing and interviewing skills. At age 15, she is learning office basics like scanning, copying, filing and customer service skills including answering the phones. She also made a site visit to Natelli Manor apartments with property manager Vivian Duran to learn about how IHA provides affordable housing.

This is not the first time Breia and her Mom have taken advantages of programs and classes suggested by Ann Ryan, the director of Project Alive at the Housing Authority. They participate in the community garden program at Lucas Village and grow their own vegetables and have taken cooking classes. It was a natural fit they signed up for Growing Stronger Together.

Incoming Board member Tom Ryan was pleasantly caught off guard seeing Breia working at the front desk when he stopped into the IHA office. He hadn’t seen her since she was a student in his social studies class at TJ Middle School.

We are honored to have had Breia as our intern this summer – and hope her connection with IHA continues!

To see the full story in the Frederick News Post: http://www.fredericknewspost.com/news/social_issues/program-in-lucas-village-partners-mothers-and-daughters-to-learn/article_8c414291-4a91-5b2e-928b-47c7027a89f6.html

Voices of Affordable Housing

By Jodie Ostoich • May 25, 2025
Voices of Affordable Housing: Affordable Housing

Gary Free resident at Residences at Railroad Square Apartments

March 3, 2025
Gary Free grew up in Brunswick, MD. The first time he saw the Residences at Railroad Square, he knew he would love to live in the apartments. Now all he can think to himself is, “I am living here!” Gary said the day he signed his lease he was so happy! He has a picture hanging in his apartment that says, “You’re Home.” Gary looks at it often and says to himself, “I am!” He finally feels at peace. Gary feels his home is nice! He also feels one of the ways of living at Residences of Railroad Square is that he now has everything he ever wanted, asked for and needed. The only thing he feels is a concern is that most of the time he gets lonely. His goal is to try to meet people. He says, “I’m a very friendly person.” Gary says his experience living at the Residences at Railroad Square has been rather good. If he has any concerns he can talk to the office staff. He feels it can’t get any better than this!

Lease-up of Residence of Railroad Square

By Crystal Thomas • March 3, 2025
With excitement and anticipation, I watched the groundbreaking on June 29, 2023, with my assistant Vickie and IHA’s Supportive Services coordinator, Sandi. By the middle of September 2023 concrete walls were being set up. We watched as the roof was completed; then the windows and doors were installed. We impatiently waited for the day we received permission to see the inside of the Residences of Railroad Square property. Finally, on September 25, 2024, we had the privilege to tour the inside of this beautiful property. On the weekend of September 27, 2024, the IHA property management team along with the CEO Jodie, held a two-day in-person application event. The owners of First Stop Brunswick generously donated their space at 2. E. Baltimore Street. That lease up kick off generated 56 applications. Over the next three months, ninety more applications were submitted. Each applicant came with their own story which stirred our hearts. No matter how different their stories may have been, they all had the same wish, a place to call home for Christmas! On November 5, 2024, the first resident signed their lease and on December 23, 2024, the last empty unit was filled! Not only were we able to fulfill these residents' Christmas wishes but it also filled our hearts with joy!
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