The Yale Homebuyer Program marked a major milestone in 2011, surpassing 1,000 Yale employees who have bought homes in New Haven with University support. To date, there have been 1,013 participants.
Five of these participants, who were photographed at their homes for a slideshow that was featured in a December YaleNews story, took some time away from their busy schedules to talk about the houses they have recently purchased with the help of the Homebuyer Program.
Clara Lindsey (photo above)
Clinical Receptionist, Yale Cancer Center
How did you learn about the Homebuyer program and how has it impacted your life?
I learned about Homebuyer's through my sister, who purchased a home through the program in 1999. I could not have become a homeowner without the funds that the program provides.
Why did you pick the neighborhood you are now in?
I picked the Beaver Hills neighborhood because my sister lives here. I looked for awhile and found nothing where I wanted to live until this house became available across the street from my sister. The house is nice and pretty big.
What do you love most about your house?
I like the area the house is in and I like living so close to family. My twin sister and her 14-year old daughter live with me so we do cookouts together with the sister across the street. I'm one of nine children and the rest of my family lives in Hamden in two houses there. We are close so we see each other a lot and have get-togethers almost every weekend.
What does the word home mean to you?
I feel good having my own home. I feel secure. It makes me happy and I smile when I get out of the car knowing that this is my house. Home means a lot of love and family and laughter. Having a home means I can help someone who needs a refuge, a place to feel secure and comfortable. I'm a minister in the Healing and Deliverance Ministry and we help people who might need counseling or to spend the night or who need clothing or food. Our ministry is about 12 people now and while we don't yet have a building to call our own, we have group meetings and we plan ways we can help people. Right now my home is a place where someone can sit and talk to me. I don't criticize; I just listen.
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Langdon Hammer (with his wife and son)
Professor of English and Yale homebuyer since 2007
How did you learn about the Homebuyer program?
I learned about it through news reports and University announcements.
Why did you pick the neighborhood you are now in?
I picked Wooster Square because it is a sort of urban island, across the tracks (literally) from downtown and for me a ten-minute walk to work.
What do you love most about your house?
The big view of the park, four seasons, 365 days.
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Rachel Futrell-Thomas
Senior Administrative Assistant, Animal Resources Center
How has The Yale Homebuyer Program impacted your life?
All I can say is thank God for Yale offering this benefit to their employees. What a huge help to me, in my decision and through the whole route to homeownership. The Yale Homebuyer Program was the EASIEST fraction in this whole home buying process!
What does home mean to you?
Owning my home is, in one word, FREEDOM, for me and my family! It’s so gratifying for me, and for my family as well, to have our own space! This is my first home!
What do you like most about your home?
It wasn’t until AFTER we moved into our Dixwell neighborhood that I started to find additional benefits that surround my home -- shopping, schools, parks, Yale Health and police, a bus line and a bike trail are all right here!
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Alicia Van Campen
Museum Technician, Yale University Art Gallery
How did you learn about the Homebuyer program and how has it impacted your life?
I learned about the program during my eployee orientation when I was hired, and subsequently, a co-worker urged me to take the class with her, even though I wasn't interested in buying at the time. After completing the class, it was made very clear that I could comfortably afford a home in New Haven. About a year later, I started the search, and after a year of searching, I found my home! The financials and the process of buying a home would not have been nearly as easy if it wasn't for the Homebuyer's class and all the help the program provides. Essentially, if it wasn't for the program, I would never have thought that buying a home would have been an option for me, and with rising rent prices, I may not have stayed in New Haven at all.
Why did you pick the neighborhood you are now in?
There are a lot of great things happening in my neighborhood here in Fair Haven, and I wanted to be a part of the community here. Not to mention waterfront properties/views, and a network of friends close by.
What do you love most about your house?
What I love most is the Craftsman-style woodwork throughout the house, the winter views and sunrises on the Quinnipiac river and the neighborhood.
What does the word home mean to you?
Home: A place for family and friends to gather; coziness.
How do you think The Yale Homebuyers Program supports the partnership of the Yale and New Haven communities?
I think it is great if people can live where they work. It cuts down on commuting, traffic, pollution, overall wastefulness. There is a dedication to community when people live where they work - parents become involved with New Haven's schools; couples and families get involved in local politics, community projects and neighborhood watches; they support local businesses. I think this is especially important for the Yale and New Haven communities as there has always been a certain underlying distance between the two, and for the University to succeed, the city needs to succeed, too. If Yale keeps its commitment to the Homebuyers Program, it can essentially build a sustainable city through investing in New Haven's infrastructure, neighborhoods, and community in a positive way. (And Yale's employees are less stressed because of a shorter commute!)
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Robert Bienstock (with husband Omar)
Associate General Counsel
How did you learn about the Homebuyers program?
Honestly, so many people know about the program. I heard about it at employee orientation, the real estate agents know about it, sellers highlight it. I've probably had a 100 conversations about it in the last year.
Why did you pick the neighborhood you are now in?
Beaver Hills is a traditional '30s and '40s neighborhood and our big Tudor house is on a stunning block with tree canopies and single family houses. It’s close to work, near Science Hill, West Rock, and Whalley Avenue and it’s right across the street from Beaver Hill Park west of Dixwell. A great location.
What do you love most about your house?
I love its character. It has built-ins, clam shell trim, high-ceilings and it's on a double lot. The second lot is mostly the built-in swimming pool, which is what we wanted – a great yard for get-togethers with family and friends. We moved in, in July, and so we would swim after work and have family and friends over on the weekends. The large living room and dining room make entertaining easy. We've had more guests in six months than we've had in the previous five years. It's a great focal point for friends.
What does the word home mean to you?
Home ties us to people. We can host parties, which we enjoy. My mother-in-law and sister-in-law work in New Haven and live in Wallingford so they come over often. My mother-in-law is a chef who makes us dinner and my sister-in-law brings our nephew over. We had 30 people for Thanksgiving. Our home connects us very well to family and our community of friends.
Would you agree that the Homebuyer Program supports the partnership of the Yale and New Haven communities?
Absolutely. First of all, there is this sense of how nice it is of Yale to give us this money. Yale and home and New Haven are all tied together in your mind. We're here because of Yale, first and foremost. Choosing to have a home here with Yale's help has a significant impact on how invested we are in both communities.
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