A Home that Changed Everything: Liliya’s Story

On Halloween night in 2024, three small children padded across the threshold of a brand-new townhome, dragging blankets and small mattresses behind them. There were no couches yet, no decorations on the walls, just a sense that something extraordinary had finally happened.

For Liliya and her children Jacob, Zhanna, and Zoriana, that night marked the end of a long season of uncertainty, and the beginning of something they had never truly known before: home.

“We camped out for a while when we first moved into our KulshanCLT home,” Liliya laughed. “But we were so happy. We were safe. That was everything.”

At just 27 years old, Liliya has already lived a life that would challenge most adults twice her age. A nurse, a single mother of three, and a lifelong caregiver, she carries herself with an ease and optimism. With maturity beyond her years. When she tells her story, it’s clear that joy, for her, is not naïve. It is chosen. Earned.

“I didn’t break emotionally,” she said. “I had my mom. I had friends. I figured things out.”

But figuring things out came at a cost.

When “Affordable” Isn’t Safe

Before moving to Telegraph Townhomes, Liliya and her children lived in an aging low-income apartment complex built decades earlier. It was technically affordable though it offered little security for the young family.

“There were two arsons while we lived there,” she recalled. “Substance abuse. Drive-by shootings. I never felt safe.”

They lived in a one-bedroom apartment that housed Liliya, her three young children, and at times, extended family members who had fled Ukraine. The children couldn’t play outside. Liliya slept lightly. She was always listening.

“I wondered if my place would burn down with my kids inside,” she shared.

Then, the apartment flooded.

Water poured in from the unit above, soaking floors and walls. Mold followed. Fans roared day and night as holes were cut into the walls for repairs. Sleep became almost impossible.

“One day I lifted my baby’s crib mattress,” Liliya said, “and there was green mold underneath. That was horrible. Knowing that despite everything I was doing, I couldn’t keep her safe.”

That was the moment she knew they had to leave.

Choosing a Harder, Braver Path

Liliya did what many parents in her position do, she sought help wherever it was available. She was accepted into the Section 8 housing program and offered an apartment. But when she looked closely, she made a decision that surprised everyone around her.

“I turned it down,” she said. “They thought I was crazy.”

The rent would have been tied directly to her income. If she worked harder, and earned more, her rent would increase. She would remain vulnerable, always one step from instability.

“I wanted to get out of the system altogether,” Liliya explained. “I didn’t want to be afraid of growing.”

Instead, she set her sights on something that felt almost impossible: homeownership.

She had heard about Kulshan Community Land Trust years earlier. When she first visited the website, she wasn’t sure she’d ever qualify. The requirements felt daunting: stable income, documentation, patience.

“But instead of discouraging me,” she said, “it motivated me. I knew what I needed to do.”

So she did it.

She worked multiple jobs, including night shifts. She showed two full years of steady earnings as a nurse and caretaker. She kept going, even as her divorce was finalized in the middle of the application process.

“All you can do is keep walking forward,” she said. “And trust.”

Faith, Sweat Equity, and a Leap of Belief

Liliya applied to both Habitat for Humanity and KulshanCLT, not knowing which, if either, might work out. Then came an unexpected opportunity: a three-bedroom townhouse at Telegraph, part of a joint KulshanCLT–Habitat collaboration.

She volunteered 50 hours of sweat equity for KulshanCLT while also banking hundreds of hours required by Habitat.

“I helped put my own townhome together,” she said proudly. “I understand how it’s built. That matters.”

Following a long wait, her home was finally ready.

“Kulshan was a leap of faith for me,” Liliya says. “But I believed it would come through. I believe that if you do good, good will be done for you.”

When the approval finally came, relief washed over her.

“It felt like a breakthrough.”

A Home That Changes Everything

Today, Liliya pays an amount she can afford for a three-bedroom, newly constructed townhome, close to what she paid in rent before. Now, her payment isn’t disappearing into a landlord’s account. It’s building equity. It’s building security.

“There is no mold,” she said. “No drafty windows. It’s clean. Sanitary. Safe.”

Her children play outside now. Neighbors look out for one another. A park is planned just beyond their backyard. A new bus line runs nearby, and sidewalks line the street.

“This neighborhood feels like family,” she said. “We all moved in around the same time. We take care of each other.”

Her HOA fee covers maintenance, garbage, and long-term needs like roofing—another layer of stability. Solar panels will soon reduce energy costs even further.

And the buying process itself? Liliya lights up when she talks about it.

“It was so smooth,” she shared. “David was incredible. Everything was handled. I never felt alone.”

For a first-time buyer navigating an intimidating system, that care made all the difference.

“With traditional real estate, everyone has to make money,” she explained. “It’s confusing. With Kulshan, it was genuine. Transparent. Beautifully set up.”

The Ripple Effect of Stability

Because of stable housing, Liliya’s life has opened outward.

She’s been able to reduce her work hours just enough to spend more time raising her children. She’s no longer reliant on food assistance. She can plan—not just survive.

“My kids speak English, Russian, Ukrainian, and Spanish,” she said. “They’re learning who they are and where they come from.”

They attend local language programs. They play. They rest. They grow.

Liliya herself grew up with little stability. One of eight children, raised by parents who arrived in the U.S. with nothing, she learned early how to take care of others.

“I’ve been a caretaker since I was 18,” she said. “Now I can give my kids what I didn’t have: time, attention, care.”

Perhaps most importantly, she knows her children will always have a home.

“It’s comforting to know this place won’t be taken from them if something happens to me,” she reflected. “They will always belong here.”

Why Donor Support Matters

Liliya is clear about one thing: her story is not just about her.

“This program launches people,” she said. “It helps them become self-sustainable.”

Without KulshanCLT, and without donors who believe in long-term solutions, her family would still be trapped in unsafe housing, cycling through systems that discourage growth.

“Kids grow up in those cycles,” she said. “And they can’t break free.”

Because of this home, her children will.

“My heart is full,” Liliya said. “I am so grateful.”

Her gratitude extends to every person who helped make her home possible—especially those who may never meet her but chose to invest anyway.

“This is what community looks like,” she said. “We can be kind. We can take care of each other.”

Thanks to donor support, Liliya’s faith and hard work paid off, and a beautiful family finally had a place to call home.