Erica Parra first heard about the IDA program in 2016, when she enrolled in college. She thought it was too good to be true, but enrolled and saved for school, while taking WSCAT’s financial education class. 

In 2018, she reapplied for the program because she was in need of a vehicle. She did research to find a car, looking at different options, price points, dealerships, and APR. After saving for a little over a year, she was able to purchase her car. 

At the same time, she had a student loan she wanted to pay off and a few other expenses left before she could finish school. She piloted the debt repayment IDA, while saving for school. She was able to pay off her student loan and finish school without needing another loan. She graduated from OSU Cascades, where she majored in Human Services, becoming a medical assistant. 

In 2023, Erica reached out to WSCAT again because she was thinking about homeownership. She stated, “I saved up to get a car and got my degree, the last thing I need is to get a house.” She took WSCAT’s Pathways Home class and met with a housing counselor to start developing a plan. She learned about the next steps to homeownership, including finding employment, pulling a credit report, and where she wanted to buy. When asked what motivated her, she stated she didn’t want to worry about paying rent and wanted a place for her kids to call home. She used her last IDA to save for the down payment and purchased a home.