From Evicted to Homeowner
Cathalina Barril lived all over the country as an Army brat growing up, but spent every summer here in Whatcom County. Her family is part of the Nooksack Tribe but are going through disenrollment. She has two grown children, a son in the Coast Guard and daughter who recently graduated from the UW. She owned a home when she was married, but after getting divorced and moving from Seattle to Whatcom County, “I thought I’d live in tribal housing all my life,” she said.
They moved in with her mom. “There was eight of us living in my mom’s 3-bedroom house,” Cathalina explained. She later lived in tribal housing in a townhome in Nooksack. Cathalina has worked for Lummi Sewer and Water for four years as an account specialist.
Disenrollment from the Nooksack Tribe has been Cathalina’s biggest challenge lately. It started back in 2012. “We grew up in this one area and then all of a sudden there’s a handful of people saying that you don’t belong there. Your ancestors lived there… and made a home there,” Cathalina shared.
A Quick Turnaround
Then came a 14-day eviction notice. Cathalina said, “I got it on March 1st and had to be out March 14th.” Fortunately, she had already been looking at other options and had applied for KulshanCLT’s homebuying program. She was close to being able to move in, but her new home was going to close after March 14th. KulshanCLT staff worked tirelessly and got Cathalina her keys before closing, keeping her from becoming homeless.
“It’s something I can say that it’s mine,” said Cathalina. She lives next door to her sister, mom, and niece. “Some people might find it too close for comfort to have their family live next door, but we love it.” Cathalina is also excited that she can paint the walls and change the interior of her home if she wants to.
The Difference You’ve Made
Now that Cathalina is in her new home, “I feel relieved, my anxiety is not off the charts,” she said. “I was able to move into this fantastic place I can call my own.”
If she hadn’t been able to buy a home with KulshanCLT, Cathalina imagined, “I would be living probably in a 400 sq ft studio for what I pay for my mortgage. And that’s conservatively. [Or] I would be living back with my family in a crowded house.”
Cathalina shared, “Everything has just been so great with Kulshan. It’s a fabulous organization to help homebuyers in our income bracket because Bellingham has just gone off the charts.”
“I’m thankful for Kulshan because otherwise… I don’t know where I’d be, well, I’d be living with my sister, but now she’s next door!”
