When Alain was told he and his family had a new home with Avesta Housing, he was so excited, he couldn’t wait to move in. So he called a friend and asked him to take him to Walmart so he could buy an inflatable mattress and sleep there that very night.

“I told my wife, ‘I am going to the apartment, and I am not leaving. You guys can join me at any time,’” he said.

Alain lives in a three-bedroom home at Unity Village at Bayside with his wife and five children, who range in age from 10 to 19. The oldest is a student at Southern Maine Community College, and the others are in public schools located nearby. The family came to Maine as asylum seekers in 2019 to escape the civil war in Burundi and stayed with a host family for several months, sleeping wherever there was space — on the floor, on a couch, in chairs.

Alain has a Bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Burundi, and had traveled the world as a procurement and logistics officer for the United Nations before leaving his home country. He and his wife both volunteer in the community, and Alain has a job at ProperityME to help others achieve the same dream he once had — a place to call home.

“I tell everyone, ‘Apply for a home with Avesta,’” he said. “The staff is very helpful, communication with them is great, and if we need help or if there is an issue, they are right there. I am very thankful to Avesta for helping us.”