The Faces of Affordable Housing: Dakota’s Journey

Dakota and her daughter call Fox Run Apartments in Berlin, Vermont their home. Completed in 2025, Fox Run was the first permanently affordable housing project Downstreet and our partner Evernorth developed in the town of Berlin. Fox Run Apartments brings 30 affordable, mixed-income apartment homes to Berlin’s New Town Center.

Dakota’s story highlights the vital role that community partner organizations play in supporting people at every stage of life—and the powerful difference that safe, affordable housing can make in ensuring stability and opportunity.

When asked about why affordable housing was important to her journey, Dakota wanted to share her story in her own words. Read Dakota’s story, as she wrote it, below:

“I'm going to start off my story with some facts about myself. I'm a 24-year-old single mother to a beautiful and intelligent 2-year-old daughter. I'm currently a full-time student eager to further my education so I can start my career in some sort of teaching or social service field. During my pregnancy, I started working with Elevate Youth Services and connected with the Family Center of Washington County once my baby girl arrived.

Finding affordable housing was what I needed to be able to leave a very toxic and abusive relationship so that my child can be raised in a healthy environment. Now that I have found affordable housing, I have the ability to be a better mother due to the relief of financial stress, being able to afford my rent, and not having to choose between rent or lights.

Affordable housing allows me to focus more on the attention and support that my child needs, rather than how I can make more money to afford housing. The most important benefit that affordable housing has given my family is consistency and stability, because we can afford our apartment so we don't have to constantly change our living situation from lack of finances.”

With the stability of permanently affordable housing, Dakota can focus on her education, care for her daughter, and build a brighter future for their family. And Dakota’s story is just one of 30 at Fox Run.

A home is not just four walls and a roof—people create place. Read more affordable housing stories by clicking here.