Seventeen Reasons to Believe in What’s Possible

Some graduations come with gowns and tassels. Others come with something even more valuable: a second chance. In July, seventeen of our neighbors crossed a finish line many thought unreachable just weeks ago. They completed a six-week Housing Behavior Diversion Program, a quiet, powerful effort to help families at risk of eviction regain control of their housing, their finances, and their futures.

Seventeen might not sound like much. But behind that number are stories of grit and courage, of Annapolians who showed up, week after week, even when life had already shown up hard. They rearranged work shifts, found childcare, sat through budgeting sessions, studied lease agreements line by line, and, most of all, they bet on themselves.

I know their journey because I’ve lived it. I grew up in public housing. I watched my father work to move us out, not because he was ashamed, but because he believed we could do more. Over time, he realized that the more he earned, the more rent he paid, a system that punished progress. Eventually, he did the math and saw that homeownership wasn’t just possible; it was smarter. It meant equity, stability, and a new future for our family.

That is the kind of mindset this program helps shift, from “I can’t” to “I will.”

Some graduates were once on the path of upward mobility, until job loss, illness, or divorce knocked them off course. Others are stepping onto that path for the very first time. But none of it came easily. It took discipline, real accountability, and the kind of steady support that reminded them they did not have to walk that road alone.

We don’t always see the personal courage it takes to try again when the odds are stacked against you. The Housing Authority of the City of Annapolis serves people facing not just economic hardship, but deep social isolation. For these seventeen, graduation wasn’t just ab

out avoiding eviction. It was about proving that change is still possible for themselves, their families, and their futures.

To the graduates: Annapolis sees you. And to the rest of us, let’s stop asking why people don’t change and start asking what we’re doing to help make change possible.