Curtis’* story highlights system failures, large and small, that perpetuate the modern homelessness crisis, along with the perseverance of this veteran and his support team at the American GI Forum National Veterans Outreach Program (AGIF), a Homeless Collaborative member organization.
Curtis is in some respects unique and in some respects very representative of our homeless friends in Dallas and Collin Counties and beyond. He served in the U.S. Army, which makes him part of a small group in the homeless population. He is a child of the 70s, an age cohort which has had a particular challenge with homelessness, due to societal failures that manifested when they came of age.
In June 2020, Curtis sought the help of a Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF), a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) program at AGIF. To preserve his health and wellbeing, Curtis was placed into an Emergency Housing Assistance (EHA) program, a temporary housing solution that helped him begin his journey. Curtis worked with his Case Manager, Hector Ortiz, to obtain food assistance, transportation assistance, and employment search assistance. By early August, Curtis had landed a job at the Dart Container Corporation making $12.63 an hour.
Shannin Courtney, American GI Forum Housing Coordinator
Although the odds were turning up for Curtis because he was nourished, mobile, and could afford to pay for housing, finding a permanent housing solution remained a challenge. With the help of his Housing Coordinator, Shannin Courtney, Curtis applied at property after property. He identified a list of properties close to his job, Shannin researched properties, and she even recruited a realtor to help find Curtis permanent housing. However, he was still receiving denial after denial because, like many others experiencing homelessness, Curtis had a previous eviction on his record.
Despite the robust support AGIF provides to clients like Curtis and having enough money to pay for rent, landlords continued to deny his applications. August turned into September, September into October, and Curtis was not able to find housing. In at least one case, Curtis even paid an application fee, out of his own pocket, only to never hear back from the apartment complex.
How many of us would have given up by this point? Can we blame those who do? Curtis certainly does not. Nevertheless, he did not give up, and would spend his bus rides to work and back searching for apartment complexes.
The Timber Rock Apartments
Finally in late October, he spotted the Timber Rock Apartments, an apartment complex walking distance from his job. Perfect for his needs, Shannin contacted the property manager that same day, and explained AGIF’s housing program and the support Curtis would receive. Although the property manager was receptive, she had to follow protocol and receive approval from her supervisor.
Though her supervisor had his concerns, and would not immediately approve her request, the property manager went to bat for Curtis, and eventually with a few stipulations she was able to convince her supervisor. Once the paperwork was completed, the necessary fees were paid, and Shannin inspected the apartment, in mid-November Curtis was finally able to move in. Curtis has maintained his employment, paid his rent on time every month, and has been the model tenant.
Curtis’ story highlights system failures that stand in way of making the experience of homelessness rare, brief, and nonrecurring. Although Curtis was able to secure a job and appropriate transportation, he was still unable to secure a home. As a black veteran with a previous eviction on his record, Curtis’ experience with homelessness was not rare, 18 weeks spent in temporary housing did not make his experience with homelessness brief, and having faced an eviction in the past made his homelessness recurring. This raises the unavoidable question: How can we avoid system failures that perpetuate the modern homelessness crisis?
These system failures are not problems any one us can solve on our own. We can, however, solve them together through collective impact, all of us, including Homeless Collaborative organizations like AGIF, landlords, and government entities like the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, strategically aligning around one goal, ending homelessness.
* This veteran’s name was changed to protect his privacy.
