Holding Onto a Home
Hard times can happen to anyone. Sometimes it is one big catastrophe; sometimes it’s a series of smaller issues that add up; sometimes those hardships can threaten the very roof over your head.
For Brenda A., 2023 was also the year everything was upended.
Her sister, who is blind, became seriously ill and needed long-term care; when other options fell through, her sister moved into Brenda’s Temple Hills, Maryland, home.
In July 2023, while managing her own health issues and bearing the sudden financial and emotional burden of becoming her sister’s full-time caregiver, Brenda missed a mortgage payment for the first time in more than 30 years of homeownership.
She immediately contacted her lender to ask for a solution, but her balloon mortgage had reached maturity and required full repayment, a cost she couldn’t afford. Then, in November, her home was devastated by an electrical fire. She heard a loud explosion upstairs and her home filled with smoke. Brenda and her sister were displaced for nearly 17 months.
Like Cynthia, Brenda also immediately understood that she would need help navigating her situation.
She reached out to housing support programs, working through referrals, HUD contacts and nonprofit advocates. Eventually, she was connected to BlueHub SUN. With SUN’s help, she secured a new, affordable mortgage. In February 2025, Brenda returned to her fully-repaired home, now featuring brand-new walls, updated electrical systems, new doors and outlets and restored safety — a fresh start in the place she’s always loved.
Brenda credits her resilience to her faith, patience and the support of her community. She lost her sister in February 2025, just before returning home, but carried forward with strength. Her advice to others facing foreclosure: “Stay calm, ask for help and don’t lose hope. Better days will come.”
