A Newmarket mother of two who feared her young family would be homeless during a pandemic is happily settled into a spacious new apartment north of Newmarket, thanks to a NewmarketToday reader who read the woman’s story here and was moved to help.
Steph, who asked that her last name be withheld for privacy reasons, was served with 60 days notice from her landlord to vacate by Aug. 31, 2020 the one-bedroom basement apartment she has called home for five years in Newmarket’s Stonehaven neighbourhood because they wanted the space for their own use.
An exhaustive search for affordable rentals in Newmarket and the surrounding area proved fruitless, with monthly rents ringing in at much more than the mom’s fixed budget could bear.
Steph’s housing situation struck a chord with a NewmarketToday reader, who emailed this publication to say that they would like to offer her a basement apartment in their home if it meets the family’s needs.
“She seems to be in a bad spot and I’d like to help,” the homeowner said, who wishes to remain anonymous to protect the new tenant’s privacy.
The pair met at the end of August and everything fell into place, Steph said, adding that the rent suggested by the landlord is affordable and within her means.
“I was jumping up and down and when the new landlord forwarded me pictures of the place, I started crying, it was amazing,” Steph said. “The new place is double the size of my old place, it has a living room, I have my own room, my older child has a room, and the kitchen, oh my gosh, I have more than one cupboard.”
“I’m so happy and thankful and so touched about this and that someone reached out to help,” Steph said.