2020 "What Home Means to Me"
Regional Finalists 

Below are the regional finalists for the 2020 Housing America "What Home Means to Me" Calendar from the eight NAHRO regions. Congratulations to all the finalists! Thank you for sharing your voice, creativity, and hard work.

Click here to see the winners of the 2020 "What Home Means to Me" contest.

Middle Atlantic Region

Jayla

7
Housing Authority of the City of Erie
My home is very special. It's my favorite place because it's where I get to love my family and be myself. It's my favorite place to cuddle with my big sister. I'm very lucky to have a home.

Owen

12
Puerto Rico Public Administration
I compared my home with a tree where the roots are strengthened by the love of my mother, who helps me grow, full of values and love. My home is a game place, where each branch is a goal to be reached.

Elaiza

15
​Puerto Rico Public Administration
​A home for me is a place where I can spend time with my family, a place where I can feel protected. A home for me is not just a house, a home for me is my island where all my friends and family are because where they go doesn't matter if we're together. It is the only thing that's important. They're my home.

Mountain Plains Region

Gabriel

11
Fargo Housing and Redevelopment Authority
​Home is a place where you enjoy family and fun games. Housing will always be our hero. We are all happy to have a home and family. After a hard day, when I step into my warm comfy home I feel happy and relaxed.

Samuel

12
Boulder Housing Partners
Home is where all are welcome to be who they are. Home is where you can rest and hang out with people you love. You can do what you love like cook, draw, garden, and watch TV. You can do a lot of things every day that are fun. So, you do need to feel safe to sleep and have fun, have a lot of fun at your home. You can also invite your friends and make them feel like they are a part of your family and have fun with them, and make them feel welcome.

SuGn

16
Housing Authority of the City Aurora
What home means to me, is a safe place where you're not alone. It’s a place that stays beside you no matter how hard life can be. It gives us strength and safety. "Silence is the sleep that nourishes wisdom" - Francis Bacon. My homes shelters me, it's there to catch me when I fall down. It's a safe place where I can express myself. It contains memories that can never be replaced. The word home means armor, peace and hope. A story that never ends. Where families grown and new friends are met. A cozy campfire that won't disappear.

New England Region

Lukas

9
St. Cloud Housing and Redevelopment
​My picture is about my family because I love my family. I love spending time with my family and we enjoy being outside.

Jayden

11
Bloomington Housing Authority
My mom and I live at my house. She takes care of me. I feel safe at home because no one bullies me and I can play with my toys and make memories. I love my home.

Gracielle

15
Winnebago County Housing Authority
My poster shows what my home means to me during every season of the year. In the spring, my home is a place where I can dry off from the rain and enjoy flowers. In the summer, home is for relaxing and enjoying life. We love to grill! In the fall, the weather gets colder. I am grateful and thankful for my home. My drawing also shows how we care for our home and keep it clean. Winter brings my favorite holidays and my home is warm and cozy. We like to decorate our home with a tree, ornaments, and lots of presents.

North Central Region

Evan

9
Bristol Housing Authority
Home is a place where I could be with my family. Home is where I could learn. Home is a place where I could play. Home is a place you can feel comfortable. Home is a place where I could be happy all the time. Home is where I could grow. I love my home.

Felicia

Deaham Housing Authority
Home is the greatest place on earth. Home is not only a place to live, it's a place to feel. To feel comfort. To feel peace. To feel love. I draw to feel at home. These drawings show the comfort, peace and love that lives in my heart. Everyone deserves to feel safe so they can just sit around and draw or do whatever makes them FEEL AT HOME, and I believe EVERYONE deserves a home!

Pacific Northwest Region

Marianna

10
Home Forward
My poster is about how I am loved and how I am free and have a lot of space to run and play. I am special. I have peace in my quiet safe place.

Martin

11
Housing Authority of Yamhill County
What home means to me is my family. My family is like a seed that we plant and we nurture everyday to grow like a tree. It is a nest of love and dislikes. Where days go on after another and we move along the path of life, stumbling with the stones that hurt us. We get up with strength and continue walking. Where we have communication and love. Where we are all born to love each other. I desire my home to be a source of love, where I have a peaceful community. I don't seek a big beautiful building, huge walls, or expensive furniture. I just want greatness of love from my family, neighbors, and for everyone to get along.

Jannely

14
Yakima Housing Authority
What home means to me is my family. My family is like a seed that we plant and we nurture every day to grow like a tree. It is a nest of love and dislikes, where days go on after another and we move along the path of life, stumbling with the stones that hurt us. We get up with strength and continue walking. Where we have communication and love. Where we are all born to love each other. I desire my home to be a source of love, where I have a peaceful community. I don't seek a big beautiful building, huge walls, or expensive furniture. I just want the greatness of love from my family, neighbors, and for everyone to get along.

Pacific Southwest Region

Layla

10
Oakland Housing Authority
In my poster I expressed what home means to me. Home is where I can rest peacefully. My home is full of happiness and comfort. But most of all, home is where my family and I make memories and is full of love. I drew my house inside the letter "O." In my house I feel loved, happy, comfort, and empowered. I added my family's pictures because those are the people that I love the most. Home is where we can make memories with each other.

Mitchell

12
Housing Authority of the County of Alameda
H - is for "home." Its where my heart is, a place I feel safe and loved. A place I can be myself. 
E - is for "emotions" of happiness, joy, laughter, and tears. 
A - is for "attentive" where my cares and needs are met. 
R - is for the "roots" that are planted in my heart to help me grow for life. 
T - is for the "tender" joys that homes brings in my life.

Angeles

15
City of Anaheim Housing Authority
In my poster I tried to show myself and how I felt when I didn't have a home. During this time, I went through a rough time with myself. I used drugs as a way to cope with my emotions, which is not something positive. So, I tried to show the girl not moving because when I went through this time, I did not want to feel anything.  I used drugs as a way to numb myself and to not deal with my past. In my life, I don't believe I ever had a home. As a child, I lived with two separate families, so family does not represent what I think as home. For me, home is myself and my past seeing how it shaped me into the person I am today. HOME is not "Having To Move Ever" again. 

Southeastern Region

Serenity

10
Housing Authority of the City of LaGrange
My home means so much to me. My mom always gives me love and care. Home is where I live and my mom takes care of me. She feeds me and gets me ready for school. I should not need or want anything, my mom gives me what I need. Sometimes she lets me get what I want. Sometimes it's because I'm on my best behavior. I am thankful for my house and my mom. 

Caniya

13
Greensboro Housing Authority
Home is a place where you can always be welcome no matter what. My home is filled with love and acceptance from my loved ones around me, which I am thankful for. Home is also one of my safe places, where I feel very protected and cared for. My poster is about how home is where memories are made and family is forever, so I based my poster off the unity of family and how close we are to each other. 

Helen

18
Highland Residential Services
When I was a child I loved picture finds. So, I wanted to do a picture find where the judges can interact with my poster. But I wanted to fill this picture with all of my dreams.

Southwest Region

Sunny

11
Stillwater Housing Authority
The puzzle pieces come together to make my home. The words right beside the puzzle quote "what home means to me," the tree represents how me and my family make a house into a home. The word "home" beside it is a design of my home.

Megan

11
Oklahoma City Housing Authority
Home means the place where you live. Home is also the place where you were born or feel you belong. My home is where I feel without fear. My home is a place where I can be with my mom, dad, sisters, and brother. My home is where I can play in my room or stay up all night and watch TV or scary movies. My home also means I can eat and drink all day long. This home keeps me dry when it rains and keeps me cool when it's hot outside. My home is where I can grow up and be a kid with my family. This is what a home means to me.

Dana

18
Harlingen Housing Authority
A home is not only the place where you can go after a long day of work, but it also can be found with the people you love. This poster not only shows the comfort from my bed, but  hanging on top is what home truly means to me. They are polaroid pictures dated and with captions. My family means the world to me. Wherever they are I feel at home.