Shifting Social Classes
PAGE 15
A few miles away from Cheryl, another mom finds herself in the opposite situation. Terry, a 44-year-old single mother, is steadily moving up in social status.
Terry spent most of her life living in a low-income neighborhood, but then a voucher from a federal housing program lifted her out of poverty and into a middle-class community. "The neighborhood that I walk through is like a whole different planet," she says. "I like the serenity I have out hereā¦the peace of mind."
With steady work as a deli clerk at a nearby grocery store, Terry is able to pay her bills and enjoy simple luxuries like a walk-in closet. "I don't hear car sirens and bickering and talking under my window all night long," she says. "I sit on my balcony and listen to the birds."
Terry spent most of her life living in a low-income neighborhood, but then a voucher from a federal housing program lifted her out of poverty and into a middle-class community. "The neighborhood that I walk through is like a whole different planet," she says. "I like the serenity I have out hereā¦the peace of mind."
With steady work as a deli clerk at a nearby grocery store, Terry is able to pay her bills and enjoy simple luxuries like a walk-in closet. "I don't hear car sirens and bickering and talking under my window all night long," she says. "I sit on my balcony and listen to the birds."