Bianca Rivera had lived in Manhattan all her life. With a master’s degree in human resources, she was working for the City of New York when the pandemic hit. Soon the crime in her neighborhood dramatically increased and made her nervous for her young daughter. So she started looking for other places to live and found an apartment in a brand-new building in White Plains. Despite the two-hour daily commute, Bianca was thrilled with the move. She and her daughter Bella found a welcoming community with excellent public schools and a multitude of after-school and summer activities. Bianca thought they were set. But soon she was thrown a curve ball. The new landlord raised the rent significantly, and her employer had a round of layoffs and terminated her employment.
It was a scary time. “The building was pushing us out, and I had to find a place where we could be safe.” The housing market in Westchester was tight, and prices had gone up since Covid hit. She needed help and was referred to The Bridge Fund.
“The caseworker at The Bridge Fund was awesome. I was treated with dignity and respect. I was told, ‘If you find a place, we can help you.’” Just in the nick of time, she found an apartment she could afford, and The Bridge Fund came through. “They coordinated with one agency to pay for the move, another to pay the deposit, and The Bridge Fund paid the first month’s rent.” At the same time, Bianca interviewed for a part-time job with the City of Port Chester and was offered a full-time position!
Now, Bianca has a 13-minute commute to a new job she loves, with real career potential. Her daughter Bella is in third grade in a bilingual program. She is also involved in soccer, children’s theater, and loves studying math. Bianca plans to stay in White Plains, and one day she hopes to buy a house. She says this is all possible because of The Bridge Fund: “They know how to listen; I will forever be thankful.”
“The building was pushing us out, and I had to find a place where we could be safe.”