The Wrighton Family

Access to rental assistance allows families to THRIVE. Thank you, Taren and Autumn, for sharing your story.

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For Taren Wrighton, finding and maintaining secure housing wasn’t easy. Taren became a mother later in life, giving birth to her daughter Autumn at 42 years old. Two years later, she found herself in a situation many people face, in desperate need of affordable housing. “I had already lived a good part of my life. When Autumn came along, it was all about her. I wanted to do, and was happy to do everything for her,” she said.

Determined to find safe and secure housing for their small family, Taren reached out to the late Senator Maurice Hinchey’s office for assistance and was directed to our agency. With some luck on her side, RUPCO was quickly able to place Taren and Autumn into a two-bedroom apartment at one of our properties with a Section 8 rental assistance voucher. “It was an opportunity I am glad I was afforded. The apartment helped me raise my daughter in a safe and comfortable environment.”

Fast forward 16 years, the Wrighton family has continued living in that same apartment, providing Autumn with a stable and healthy home for her to flourish. Now 18, Autumn is a freshman at Vassar College where she has a full scholarship with ambitions to become a scientist. Autumn remains close enough that she calls her mom every day to check-in. “I was very lucky with Autumn. She is truly a ‘good kid.’ It is true what they say: ‘it takes a village to raise a child’. I did not have a lot of family in the area to help, but I made friends and had a lot of support from the local community.”