“The main problem was having undiagnosed depression because I couldn’t do anything,” says Neal, a ShelterCare program participant, “I would always end up back at The Mission because I just couldn’t do the normal things you have to do to survive.”
Neal was in and out of homelessness for over 20 years. He explains how he became unhoused, “At some point in my early 30s, I started to feel depressed. If you’re not making an effort to move forward and get a job, eventually you run out of couches.”
The moment that changed everything for Neal was when he was finally connected to mental health resources, “I had a case manager at The Mission who was really down to earth. He had me take a depression inventory and I was like, oh, yeah, I’m depressed! I was actually excited because it was like, oh, there’s a reason!”
“It took me about three or four years of therapy and getting the medication right, but once I started feeling okay, I just went to work,” he explains, “I got into an internship with EasterSeals, they have an internship for seniors getting back into work. I did it for two years at a transitional housing community called Everyone Village where I was living after I moved out of The Mission.” This opportunity marked the end of Neal’s homelessness and a foundation for personal growth in his life.
Neal talks about what he was able to achieve once he reached this level of stability, “I got this job at a local community radio station. I finally got my medication right and I was so excited to not be just sitting at The Mission for a decade. I was like, I got stuff to do! I was Co-Station Manager within four or five months.”
Neal’s next step was to find long-term housing, “I got accepted where I’m living, then ShelterCare called me right at the same time. So right when I was getting a place, ShelterCare showed up, which was really great.”
Neal is in ShelterCare’s Supported Rental Assistance (SRA) program. SRA is a program for individuals with Severe and Persistent Mental Illness (SPMI). In addition to rental assistance, the program provides housing services to support the participant to find and maintain housing. To be eligible, a person must be chronically homeless, literally homeless or imminently at risk of homelessness.
SRA has made stable housing feel attainable for Neal, “the ShelterCare program is really great for me because everything seemed really out of reach. Someone helping me with rent made a lot of the things I didn’t think were possible, possible. I still have a “bug-out bag”, a backpack with everything I need in case this whole thing falls apart.”
Neal’s housing specialist at ShelterCare, Moníca, says this feeling of instability, even when housed, is a common experience among her program participants, “I’ve seen people who feel like they are safer on the streets than in a place because they feel claustrophobic in one place and it feels like a threat to their nervous system. Or they feel guilty, “I don’t deserve this.” There’s a lot of things that happen mentally, physically, emotionally, and psychologically that people don’t realize affect keeping someone housed.”
Neal felt that same way when he was first accepted into the community, where he now lives, “I feel really lucky every time I walk through the door. The first time I looked at it, I was like, this is too good for me! I just couldn’t believe it.”
Moníca explains the value of the support that a housing specialist provides, “I help support my participants on a daily basis. Some people have more needs than others, some people have more crises, and some people are dealing with mental illness and/or addictions at the same time. It’s learning how to navigate that for that particular person.”
The community where Neal lives is a big part of his stability and happiness, “it’s a co-op, it’s not just apartments. I’ve made some really great friends. When you’re a guy and you get to be my age, a lot of times it’s really hard to make friends because people are already set with their friend groups or they’re married, but I’ve met some great people there and we have a good time! We have shared meals and work on projects together.”
Now that Neal has a place of his own, he has discovered a new love of cooking, “I like entertaining people! Cooking is a hobby because when it’s just for the fun of it, it is really relaxing; it’s like getting to be a kid again! You’re getting messy, getting your hands dirty, and messing around with colors!”
Neal’s stability is now allowing him to work through the trauma of experiencing so many years of homelessness, “last night, I was thinking about all the normal experiences I missed because of undiagnosed depression. You know, having a bunch of friends, getting married, having kids, being part of a community. When you’re homeless as long as I was, you just have to get through each day. Now that I have time to think, it’s all popping up and I’m finally dealing with it.”
You can support individuals like Neal on their mental health journey. A housing specialist, like Moníca, and a stable place to live has changed his life forever. Your donation will help us house more individuals before the next holiday season and continue moving our program participants forward in personal growth. Will you donate today to support ShelterCare’s work of providing housing and support services to chronically homeless individuals?