With the support of CLTRE, the City of Sacramento, and the U.S. Bank Foundation, one mother’s fight to survive became a story about building a future.
“I was told to get my things in order. Stage 4 Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. Six months to live.”
That was October 31, 2005. Tanya Scott sat in the doctor’s office, a shy single mother of two boys, just 15 and 12, and tried to make sense of the words.
“This cannot be true,” she told herself. Then came the second blow: it wasn’t Hodgkin’s at all. It was Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. Worse. More aggressive.
Her body was under siege. A golf ball-sized tumor dislocated her hip, making every step a limp filled with pain. A softball-sized tumor between her chest walls made each breath ache. Her neck and collarbone swelled. Her lower abdomen was tender and heavy.
“I wasn’t ready to go,” Tanya said. “I gave all of my concentration to raising my boys. If God was calling me home, I was going to live my last months the best way I could.”
She faced the chemo. She laughed even when it hurt. She ate all the bad food she loved. She traveled to beaches and gave the rest to God. Six months turned into seventeen years. Tanya survived, but she lived every day like it could be her last.
It was her son who reminded her of life beyond survival. “Mom, what were your goals before cancer? You didn’t die. You have another chance.”
She answered quietly: “I wanted to own a home. Something to leave for my children and their children.” She told him she was too old for that dream. He shook his head. “It’s never too late.”
One night, sleep wouldn’t come. A soft voice inside nudged her awake. Check social media. “I argued. I had work in the morning. But then I heard, ‘Don’t argue. Just do it.’”
On her screen was a simple ad: Are you looking to buy a home? Tanya clicked. It led her to CLTRE and the program that helps first-time homebuyers cross the bridge to ownership. Without overthinking, she applied.
Weeks later, she got the call: she was in.
On May 7, 2025, Tanya held the keys to her $425,000 home. Through CLTRE, she received $17,500 in down payment assistance from the City of Sacramento and $20,000 from the U.S. Bank Foundation. That support unlocked more than a door. It unlocked a future.
“Owning a home gives me a sense of pride and security I didn’t know I was missing. Buying my first home wasn’t promised, just like life wasn’t. But I’m still here. And now, I own a piece of that survival.”
For Tanya, the house is more than shelter. It’s a legacy. “I pray my grandchildren will have an advantage because of this. I pray this home brings education, jobs, and peace of mind to the generations that come after me.”
The roof needs replacing. The pipes are aging. The pool could use resurfacing. To Tanya, those aren’t flaws. They’re blessings. “This is mine to care for. One day at a time, we’ll love on this house.”
She doesn’t forget the hands that helped her get here. “To the supporters, donors, lenders, realtors, and community partners, you didn’t just help me buy a house. You gave me hope. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
From being told to get her things in order to opening the door to her first home, Tanya Scott’s story is a reminder that sometimes, the smallest late-night nudge can lead to the biggest second chance.
The CLTRE Keeper Program helps renters in Sacramento become first-time homebuyers through education, coaching, and down payment assistance. In partnership with the City of Sacramento, the U.S. Bank Foundation, Sacramento Region Community Foundation, and trusted lenders, CLTRE is building generational wealth and stability one family at a time.
For more information, visit our website at https://cltre.org/cltre-keeping/.
