Meet the People HomeAgain Has Helped
Stephanie Brown:
Stephanie is a hard working mom with nine-year-old twins, a boy and girl, who she says keep her very busy.
Despite the fact that she has worked at the Virginia Eye Institute for 22 years, the financial hardship of being a single mother to her twins and working with partial blindness caused Stephanie to become homeless in February of 2012. She was quickly able to enter HomeAgain’s Transitional Housing Program (which has since been replaced by the Housing-First Principle and Rapid Re-housing), where she received the services needed to find a home for her family. She spent 4 months in the transitional program before moving into one of HomeAgain’s Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) units.
In order to be eligible for this PSH program, the head of household must have a diagnosed disability and qualify under HUD’S definition of chronically homeless.
Permanent Supportive Housing Program Manager, at the Espigh Family Shelter, Karen Roane, explained, “Stephanie has always worked hard and just needed a hand up to provide housing for her and her children. She was a little hesitant when I introduced the idea of home ownership through Habitat, but once she was approved I was very excited for her.”
Karen went on to share, “Stephanie has overcome many challenges in her life, but has always remained positive. She provides an excellent example for anyone who has faced homelessness and has relied on her faith to see her through some challenging times.”
Stephanie is quite excited to have been chosen for home ownership through this program and is grateful for her journey. “Though it’s a hardship, it’s not an ending; it’s a beginning,” she said.
She went on to add, “When life deals you a lemon, you just don’t always know where to go. HomeAgain is an excellent program. It gave me a safety net.”
As a result of the safety net provided to Stephanie along with a resources such as Habitat, and her incredible tenacity, Stephanie is now a proud and dedicated homeowner! Rarely do people go from homelessness to homeownership in such a short timeframe, but Stephanie did! Her success warms our hearts and makes us proud to have contributed to her success!
Jauqin Conton
Jauquin Conton, a 30-year-old single dad, came to our shelter in search of help. He was homeless and caring for his 2-year-old son, Gio. “At first I wasn’t going to come, but everyone gets on their feet from HomeAgain. It’s a smooth program if you follow the steps. For the support they give, you can do it.” He stressed how important it was for his family to stay together and that Gio is the best part of his life. “He has manners. I can’t wait to see him grow. I am going to love that,” he said.
As we helped him sign a lease on an apartment, his landlord, Dean, overheard him saying he was going to purchase a whiteboard to write down daily goals. Dean decided to buy the board himself and give it to Jauquin as a gift for his new beginning. Today Jauquin says, "HomeAgain is a life saver. [Life] it's just hard, but you can work smarter not harder. Be humble and be honest. When I walked into HomeAgain my back was against the wall." Now he is employed and living in a place of his own along with his son. Shortly after moving into his new home, he gained custody of his young daughter as well. Jauquin and his family are thriving in their new home.
