Welcome Home, Jonathan!
By Ashley McKay, Director of Housing Stability
In 2016 I met Jonathan under the 91 overpass at Downey Ave. He was struggling with the ache of a broken back from being hit by a car a few days earlier. Manny, our Outreach Coordinator, and I convinced Jonathan to visit the mobile clinic where they could refer him to quality care. With consistent medical care, his broken back began to heal, and he was able to address all of his other medical issues, too. This was the beginning of a 7-year relationship between Jonathan and KCB.
The journey from homelessness to housed had a wealth of challenges for Jonathan. He faced obstacles that seemed impossible to recover from – documents lost while living on the streets, police brutality, along with resources that fell through. Thankfully, Johnathan was matched to Project Room Key and was able to live in interim housing instead of on the streets during the pandemic. After a few years, this opportunity opened the door to a housing resource, and he began working closely with his KCB Housing Navigator, Sam, to locate appropriate housing.
Our team was very excited for Jonathan when we discovered he was connected to housing and shared the news with him, along with a celebratory cupcake (pictured above), on the week of his birthday. Jonathan was shocked when we told him. He had been pursuing housing for a while and to finally be connected to a home overwhelmed him. He also expressed anxiety about being on his own and away from his community he had formed while living on the streets.
To provide support during this transition, a couple of our team members joined Jonathan on the day he moved in. He was happy to not be alone and to have the support of our team. Since then, our team has continued to make house visits to check in on him and assist him with retaining his housing. Despite being nervous when he first moved into his new home, Jonathan has grown comfortable with his living situation within this past month and has self-advocated for additional forms of support, like intensive case management (ICMS). His determination to do the work to retain his housing is encouraging to our team as it gives us hope that he will remain housed.
Jonathan’s story demonstrates the power of compassion, consistency, and the resilience of the human spirit. Jonathan’s journey to housing was not an easy one, but I know that when you have someone to walk alongside you in the grit, like he does, it's easier to holdfast.