When Pedro and Alice first came to Portland with their family, they stayed at the city’s family shelter and spent much of their free time walking around the Bayside neighborhood.

“We would say to each other, ‘This is a great neighborhood. Hopefully one day, we can live here,’” Pedro said.

The couple arrived in Maine with their three children five years ago as asylum seekers from Angola. They immediately set about improving their lives. Pedro earned an Associate’s degree in automotive technology at Southern Maine Community College. Alice, who is trained as an administrative assistant, volunteered with Avesta Housing’s leasing team, and that experience encouraged them to apply for housing with Avesta.

When they were approved for Unity Village at Bayside, they immediately fell in love with their new apartment. “The first thing I noticed was the kitchen,” Alice said. “When I saw the kitchen, I thought, ‘This is just what I was looking for.’”

Today, the couple works in the manufacturing department of Abbott. Their two oldest children are students at Portland High School, and the youngest attends East End Community School. They take great pride in keeping their apartment clean and tidy for a simple reason — it’s their home.

“We would absolutely recommend Avesta to someone looking for a place to live,” Pedro said. “We have been encouraging our friends to apply. We tell them, ‘You will be happy with Avesta Housing.’”