I won a housing lottery with over 5,000 applicants. Now I pay $1,260 a month for a brand-new home.

Angela Santiago, a 33-year-old single mom, won a New Jersey housing lottery in 2024. The part-time content creator pays $1,200 a month in rent for a brand-new two-bedroom apartment. "We wake up happier and have a better overall outlook on life," she said.

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You can opt-out at any time by visiting our Preferences page or by clicking "unsubscribe" at the bottom of the email. Advertisement This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Angela Santiago, a 33-year-old single mom who won an apartment with below-market-rate rent in Montville, a township about 30 miles west of Midtown Manhattan, through an affordable housing lottery program run by Piazza and Associates . She shared her experience in a July TikTok video that has more than 368,000 views.

The conversation has been edited for length and clarity. This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Become an Insider and start reading now.

Have an account? Log in . I am a single mom with a 10-year-old son who I have full-time. Although his father pays child support, and I earn $43,000 a year with a bachelor's degre.