From basement to blooms

Dannah Henderson in her light and airy kitchen.

Affordable housing makes dreams happen

Dannah Henderson was living in a basement apartment in Jamaicaway. Her unit was next to the washers and dryers and she started to see mold growing in her place. 

There were also roaches and the utility costs were through the roof. On top of all that, it was a long trek to work at Stapleton Floral, necessitating trains or buses, with no guarantee of getting there on time.

Her landlord wouldn’t fix anything, but it was the only place she could afford. 

One day her boss at Stapleton Floral, Yianni Tsaousidis, asked her: “How are you doing?” Dannah told him, “Boss Man, I have to move from that place.”

That’s all Yianni needed to hear. He was intent on helping her find a new place closer to work that she could afford. 

Yianni has known South Boston NDC Executive Director Donna Brown for 30 years and reached out to her. “I just figured maybe she’d be a great fit. She really fit the purpose,” he said.

“Yianni is so supportive,” Dannah, 37, said. “He tries to make you feel more comfortable in any way he can. He’s an amazing person.”

The same day her landlord asked if she would be renewing her lease, Yianni texted her with an opportunity at South Boston NDC’s Woodward Street units.

With an opening at the same time Dannah was looking for a place, Christine Kelly, South Boston NDC’s Residential Coordinator, called Dannah and set up a time to show her the unit. 

“I’m upstairs. I can breathe,” said Dannah, who had moved from Dorchester to Jamaicaway after the aunt she was living with passed away. “I have sunlight; I’m not in a basement!”

She was so excited for the light, airy unit that she was able to buy plants for her new space, including snake plants, her favorite.

And in a major difference from her old place, South Boston NDC’s maintenance crew is responsive, efficient, and super nice.

She’s now really close to the job she loves at Stapleton. “I love my job,” she said. “I won’t be late to work now. This is very convenient.”

With outrageous rents pricing people out of the neighborhood, Dannah is grateful for the work South Boston NDC does. 

“It’s super amazing,” she said. “We have a lot of people who are trying, and they are working hard … why not make it affordable so people can have a family, you have some peace of mind …”

Affordable housing is extremely important, Yianni echoed. “I've seen it over the years where we've lost a lot of our residents; the local residents that couldn't afford to live here anymore.”

He recalled an elderly couple who had lived on Broadway all their lives and contributed to the neighborhood. They had to move but couldn't find affordable housing within Southie. “They moved to another part of the city and I thought that was very unfair.”

“I'm very grateful, very grateful,” said Dannah, who is always happy when she drops off her check at the South Boston NDC office because everyone is so nice to her. 

She loves her Woodward Street place. “I love it here. I love the convenience; everything is right here. It’s the perfect location.”

And the price is right. 

Dannah is a designer with Stapleton Floral. Before she was hired, she had no experience in plants or arranging flowers but Yianni saw something in her. “What I love most about this job is it showed me a talent I didn’t know I had,” she said..

“I care about everyone here,” Yianni said, noting it felt amazing to be able to help find housing for Dannah, who he called a blessing. “Everyone goes out of their way to help each other.”

“Yianni is an amazing man,” Dannah said. “He treats us like family.”

And now, so does South Boston NDC.