Client Stories
Tannie
Recently, Tannie was hit with two devastating blows: She became homeless after her mother, with whom she'd been living, died of cancer. She also learned during a pre-natal visit that she was HIV+. She applied for benefits at the HIV/AIDS Service Administration and was referred to the Coalition's Scattered Site Housing Program (SSHP). At this time, Tannie was eight months pregnant, frightened about her health, and even more terrified about her unborn child's fate.
Roberta
Roberta became homeless a few months ago when the landlord raised the rent on the room she was renting in Brooklyn. Our Rental Assistance staff knew Roberta was an ideal candidate for the program.
Anthony
Anthony has lived with disabilities from a young age. As an adult, he applied to receive disability assistance numerous times. Each time, he was denied because of errors in his application. Anthony was living in a Bronx shelter ill-equipped for his specific medical needs. His health was deteriorating rapidly, and he was in dire need of help.
Carmen and Luis
Carmen and Luis have lived in Brooklyn since getting married three years ago. Carmen worked a beauty salon while Luis worked as a furniture mover. This past fall, Luis was unexpectedly hospitalized for a severe leg injury. Medical staff told them that even if Luis's surgery was successful - which it was - he would still suffer from a chronic, permanent condition that produces severe pain and fatigue. He would be unable to continue working.
Robbie
On a cold rainy night this past October, a series of large boxes are tucked in the darkness on the top step of a church in midtown Manhattan. This is where Robbie lives. He is waiting for the Coalition's Grand Central Food Program van. As it arrives with hot meals, Robbie and the other men who sleep in front of the church finish putting their boxes together for the night. Their goal is to create a tight seal to keep the body heat in.
Rebecca
Rebecca suffers from schizophrenia and has not had a stable home since she was in her teens. Remarkably, when Rebecca applied for shelter, she was assigned to one designed for homeless women who are employed. One of the shelter rules is that residents must save a quarter of their income each month. Without a job or even public assistance benefits, Rebecca literally had nothing to save. When she came to our Crisis Intervention walk-in center, she had just been ejected from her shelter. Our crisis counselors arranged an interview the same day with a psychiatrist and scheduled a hearing to appeal her shelter eviction.
Vincent
Vincent was in a shelter for over a year before he came to the Coalition frustrated by the shelter's poor conditions and looking for affordable housing. The Coalition's Crisis Intervention counselors, shelter specialists, and Client Advocacy Program worked together to address the issues at the shelter, as well as help him apply for disability benefits and search for appropriate supportive housing.
Sharon and Alliah
Sharon has a full-time job, but didn't make enough to keep her apartment that she shared with her daughter and became homeless. After seeing a presentation by the Coalition at her shelter, she enrolled in our Rental Assistance Program where she was helped finding an affordable apartment and given a small stipend to help bridge the gap between her income and rent.
Sheena and Melia
Sheena was homeless and lacked the skills to find a full-time job to support her daughter. The Coalition's First Step Job Training Program helped her get back on her feet, find employment, and reunite with her daughter.
Judith-Anne
Not making enough at her dangerous security job to find a place of her own, Sabrina attended the Coalition's First Step program and eventually was hired full-time at Columbia University.