Jenifer Carter is a property manager in Madison who believes her success in housing is rooted in building strong, individual relationships with tenants at the properties she manages.
In her work, Jenifer goes far beyond her onsite office, she gets out into the community, becoming a walking resource for families and individuals navigating Madison’s housing market. By sharing her story, she helps others rebuild their lives and find a second chance.
“Without my history, I wouldn’t be who I am today,” says Jenifer.
As a single mother of two, Jenifer experienced a housing eviction and stayed at the Salvation Army shelter with her children. That experience motivated her to move faster and work harder to get into stable housing.
Her second chance came when she lived at Northridge Terrace Apartments on the north side of Madison. There, she built a relationship with a landlord who offered her reduced rent in exchange for helping maintain the property grounds. This led to a resident manager position, where she gained hands-on experience in what it takes to help people access housing. That connection not only secured her own housing, but also introduced her to the world of property management.
That’s why when an opportunity arose to work at Northridge Terrace Apartments, Jenifer embraced it, eager to bring her skills and lived experience to the community. She quickly became known for mediating between tenants and Madison law enforcement and for advocating in spaces where residents’ voices needed to be heard.
“This is our home. This is our community as well,” she says.
Her work at Northridge Terrace Apartments caught the attention of a neighboring property, which offered her an Assistant Leasing Agent role. She was raising two young children at the time, and the position required her to live onsite, a decision that would directly shape her family’s daily life. After careful thought, she accepted the role, determined to put her relationship-building skills and resident management experience to the test. She was promoted to Property Manager, a role that became the springboard for her career and eventually brought her to where she is today with Stone House Development.
Stone House Development partners with The Road Home Dane County, a nonprofit that helps families experiencing homelessness access stable, affordable housing and achieve their goals. Together, they provide affordable units at Tailor Place Apartments and The Breese Apartments for families enrolled in The Road Home’s housing programs, many of whom are overcoming past evictions and other housing barriers.
Jenifer understands that her lived experience, paired with her property management expertise, can be a catalyst for real change in how tenants and property managers relate to each other. Beyond her role, she was involved in community development and outreach—spending 12 years in the Allied Drive community, helping open Revival Ridge Apartments, and speaking to case managers at the Salvation Army encouraging rental assistance programs to be presented in ways that empower tenants and foster positive relationships with property managers.
To Jenifer, a home, whether it’s an apartment or a house, is the foundation of a family. She believes in creating space for mutually beneficial relationships between tenants and property managers, breaking down misinformation, especially for families rebuilding their lives after hardship.
“I care about people. I care about the people that live here.”
Jenifer knows sometimes all it takes is one person to take a chance on you. As a lifelong renter turned property manager, she sees this work as her calling, paying forward the opportunity she was given by a property manager who believed in her. She’s living proof that the right connection can change the trajectory of someone’s life.