Faces of affordable housing: Meet Victoria Gilo of Ashland

Editor's note: Affordable housing is about everyone in our community being able to afford a home that supports good physical, financial, and emotional well-being. This occasional series produced by Lakes Region Community Developers, Lakes Region Community Services, and Laconia Housing features stories of people who live in affordable housing in the Lakes Region to demonstrate the diversity of people who thrive in affordable housing and how it enriches our communities.

ASHLAND — Victoria Gilo and her partner Joe moved to Ashland from Rhode Island in 2018 to be closer to their daughter and granddaughter. The retired couple immediately fell in love with the small town. Rhode Island to them felt crowded. Moving here was like a breath of fresh air.

When they first moved, they lived in an apartment on Main Street and loved the location. What they didn’t love, though, was the rent. Vicki says, “We were paying a ridiculous amount of rent for a one-bedroom.” They were also located on the second floor, which was not ideal for the aging couple. When COVID hit, although they always paid their rent on time, they weren’t feeling supported by their landlord.

So they got their name on the list for Lakes Region Community Developers’ Ames Brook Apartments, and were thrilled when they got the call that an apartment had become available. “We looked at it and it was like, ‘Oh my God, this was beautiful,'” says Vicki. It was a first-floor apartment with direct walk-out access to the outdoors behind their building, which is secluded and quiet.

Vicki and Joe became the proud new tenants of that apartment at Ames Brook in 2020, and they haven’t looked back since. In fact, their daughter and granddaughter have since moved back to Rhode Island, but Vicki and Joe are staying put. Vicki shares, “We love, love, love it here. We’re not going anywhere.”

Being retired and on a fixed monthly income, they appreciate the affordable rent, which in Vicki’s words, “Makes you feel not rich, but not so poor.” The self-proclaimed “big kid” also loves the community atmosphere Ames Brook offers.

Vicki and her neighbors do a lot to put on fun activities for the children who live at Ames Brook Apartments, such as a trunk-or-treat at Halloween, Christmas parties and an Easter celebration. They are planning to do hot chocolate and s’mores this winter. In the summer of 2022, Vicki started a tradition of kid-friendly movie nights out on the green, which she compared to going to the drive-in. The kids would bring their blankets and pillows to watch the movie, and Vicki would give them hot chocolate, balloons, candy or popcorn. “It’s just so fun,” says Vicki.

Vicki and her neighbors worked together to establish a 10-bed community garden in 2022, and she continues to collaborate with her neighbors to keep the garden running smoothly. She was proud to share that this past summer all the garden beds were full.

Ames Brook had its own Girl Scout Troop a couple of years ago, but it fizzled out when some of the participants moved away. Vicki has stepped up to be trained as a troop leader by the Girl Scouts of the Green & White Mountains in hopes the troop can be re-established to benefit the girls who now live at Ames Brook.

To add to Vicki’s leadership and community contributions, she recently became the newest member of the LRCD Board of Directors as a tenant representative. LRCD is a mission-driven landlord that provides programs to strengthen the health and well-being of their tenants. Vicki looks forward to contributing to LRCD’s mission and getting to know other community leaders.

Vicki knows first-hand the impact of the supports LRCD offers to its tenants. She is proud to share her beautiful new smile after participating in LRCD’s dental program, which offers matching payments to dental providers to help tenants afford the dental care they need. Vicki was experiencing pain, shifting and loosening teeth with her partial dentures, which led to the loss of more of her teeth. With the help of LRCD’s program, Vicki was able to afford a full set of top dentures. “LRCD matched me, and without that, I wouldn’t have been able to do it,” she says. “I love it because I feel like I can smile again.”

Vicki participated in a class at her apartment complex this summer called Nutrition Connections, where residents gathered in the garden and learned about healthy eating. She also took part in programs offered by Granite VNA and ServiceLink at her apartment complex.

When asked what it means to have a place like Ames Brook Apartments, Vicki shares, “It’s life-saving. It’s a relief, because we don’t have to worry about whether we can buy good food, or afford to get our car fixed.”

Vicki wants people to know that affordable housing communities like Ames Brook benefit many different types of people. Among her neighbors are seniors, people working in service sector jobs, single mothers with children, and people with a disability. “We all really need this place. And because I live here, I have some money left over so I can buy things at local businesses. And I feel like I can contribute to my community.”