Joe Hart is the Communications Specialist for Homeward Bound of WNC. He loves telling our client's stories and encourages everyone in the community to get to know the people living near them who are experiencing homelessness. Reuniting individuals with their community is the first step to helping end homelessness everywhere.
Homeward Bound’s Rapid Rehousing and Homelessness Prevention program provides short-term financial support and case management to individuals and families at imminent risk of homelessness and to those already experiencing homelessness in Buncombe County. Our Rapid Rehousing and Homelessness Prevention Specialist, Jesika Davis, shares an experience from her work supporting Andrea, a mother of two who was facing homelessness with her two children.
“My client was forced to move because her landlord was unable to renew her lease. She was a perfect tenant, they acknowledged, but they needed the house for personal reasons. She and her two children were scrambling to find a new place that would accept their housing voucher. Her old landlord confirmed she would get her whole deposit back, but not until after she moved out, and gave her 30 days to do so. Time was running out, and her former landlord was planning to file an eviction against Andrea.
This is when Andrea used our Get Help webpage to apply for housing assistance through Homeward Bound’s Rapid Rehousing and Homelessness Prevention program. We were able to help her with the inspection, lease signing, landlord negotiations, and ultimately the deposit within the week. When the new landlord spoke with me and learned more about Homeward Bound, he was willing to give Andrea the keys early just based on our word, also allowing her to avoid an eviction on her record. She was so relieved and grateful that she asked if she could thank our team personally.” – Jesika Davis, Rapid Rehousing/Homelessness Prevention Specialist
“I want to personally take the time to thank Homeward Bound’s Jesika, Amanda, Housing Services Director Jenny, and the whole finance department for making it possible for me and my kids to move into our beautiful home we’re in now. I am beyond thankful for the urgency, compassion, and going above and beyond to make this chapter of my life possible for me and my kids. I appreciate you all and thank you so much again for all of your hard work to make this happen.” – Andrea
John is a 38-year-old blue-collar dad who feels like he’s been given a second chance at life. For the past three years, he has been working toward and accomplishing a list of goals that includes sobriety, being a better father, and learning to love himself. His story is evidence that housing and support provide the foundation for growth, and that ending homelessness doesn’t just affect the individual but also their family and community...
John is a 38-year-old blue-collar dad who feels like he’s been given a second chance at life. For the past three years, he has been working toward and accomplishing a list of goals that includes sobriety, being a better father, and learning to love himself. His story is evidence that housing and support provide the foundation for growth, and that ending homelessness doesn’t just affect the individual but also their family and community.
John became homeless after developing an addiction to fentanyl and methamphetamine at 30 years old. He lost most of his relationships once his addiction became the primary focus of his day-to-day life. John struggled with his addiction for five years until he was arrested and incarcerated on a felony charge. He was told by the state that he would lose custody of his two sons if he didn’t turn his life around.
John’s life in prison was tough and isolating, but it gave him time to reflect. He decided that his children were more important to him than anything. Once released, John began visiting the AHOPE Day Center, checking in with Homeward Bound staff to receive assistance with housing and basic resources. He desperately needed a fresh start, but faced significant barriers to housing and employment because of his record.
“I didn’t want to be homeless on the streets,” says John. “I didn’t want to be addicted to drugs. Drugs came with it. I told AHOPE, ‘Get me out of the streets so I can see my kids, so I can get away from this lifestyle. Just give me a chance.’”
A year and a half later, John received a call from AHOPE staff with news that he had been approved to live at Homeward Bound’s Compass Point Village. Soon, everything began to fall into place. John didn’t have to sleep outside. He had a home he could take pride in, and most importantly, this was the stepping stone he needed to focus on his goals. Thanks to a family member, John found a job building manufactured homes.
We are pleased to share that John has graduated from Compass Point Village. Our housing specialists found him a new townhome where his two sons have their own room. The three of them spend every weekend together, and John says there is no happier feeling than watching them at their baseball games. John also talks to his oldest son and daughter, who live in Florida, every day.
“I’ve got all kinds of goals that I’ve reached,” says John. “I see my kids every weekend. I’ve been sober for two years. I’ve been working my butt off. I make really good money doing what I’m doing. My credit score is through the roof. I mean, I did it. It took a lot of hard work and determination, but I never gave up. And I’m not going to.”
John says working on his list of goals keeps him steady. His next goals revolve around making sure his family is under one roof. He hopes to buy a home, slow down with his work, and spend even more time with his kids. John sees himself as a good father and feels proud of everything he has achieved.
“I’ve learned to love myself, John says. “I’m okay with myself. My whole thing is now that I’ve figured out how to love myself, I want other people to be attracted to that. That’s why I’m doing this interview. I want my energy to flow out. I’m working on giving positive energy, positive enough that people smile when they’re around me. I want people to follow my steps. I want to get my story out so people see that it’s possible. It’s very possible.”
John’s message to Asheville is that “people experiencing homelessness are still people at the end of the day. They’re still somebody’s mom, somebody’s dad, grandma, brother, or sister. It doesn’t matter what walk of life they’re in, they’re still people. Don’t look down on anybody. Try to lift them up.”
John is confident he will graduate from Permanent Supportive Housing. He’s thankful for the support of his Case Manager, Amanda; Homeward Bound Property Manager, Debbie; and the staff at AHOPE for trusting him and keeping him on track.
“They allowed me to come and tell them what I wanted to accomplish, and they gave me ways to accomplish it,” John says. “Once people get into houses, they can start focusing on what they need to focus on. It’s just one thing after another. First is the house, then the job, then whatever else comes after that. People have different goals, but I noticed that once you get housing, it’s easier to reach your goals. Everything else is like a puzzle after that; it just fits in perfectly. I’m living proof of it. If it wasn’t for Compass Point Village, my puzzle pieces would still be scattered.”
Research shows that stable and healthy relationships are not only a source of happiness but also a key determinant of health, resilience, and longevity. That’s why Homeward Bound provides Housing Case Managers—because helping someone transition from a state of crisis to stability is just as important as providing a home.
For Barbara, housing and genuine support have given her the space to heal, find answers to long-held questions, and recover from painful experiences.
As a young adult, Barbara envisioned a different future for herself. At 19, she married and moved in with her husband. Soon after they had their second child, however, he began drinking and became violent. Barbara tried to make it work for the sake of her children, but the abuse worsened and often occurred in front of them. They eventually divorced, but in suspicious circumstances, her ex-husband was awarded full custody of their children. Barbara says this caused her to lose her mind.
“I felt like everything I was meant to be and do in this life—a mother, a wife—was taken from me,” she says. “I put my head down and started to work a lot, doing everything to make the hole in my heart and soul go away.”
Soon after losing custody, Barbara was diagnosed with fibromyalgia—an incurable chronic disorder characterized by widespread pain, fatigue, sleep problems, and cognitive difficulties. She continued working construction jobs to support herself and stay close to her children, but eventually the symptoms became too much to handle. Barbara lost her apartment and became homeless at 30 years old.
During this time, Barbara was introduced to methamphetamine, which she says relieved both her emotional and physical pain. For many people experiencing homelessness or other traumatic situations, substances often become a way to relieve pain when nothing else seems to work.
Homeless and living under the Lexington bridge, Barbara took the chance offered by Sunrise Community for Recovery and Wellness to move into a hotel. She stayed there for a year while they helped her connect with housing, and it was during this time that she was introduced to Homeward Bound.
Homeward Bound worked to find the right home for Barbara, placing her in two other residences before she moved to Compass Point Village. Each step brought her closer to stability, but it was the security and wrap-around services at Compass Point Village that allowed her to thrive.
Barbara
Barbara credits her stability to several factors: the safety and security of Compass Point Village and a treatment plan with our on-site clinical partner, Appalachian Mountain Health, which finally relieved her pain. She says it took doctors more than 10 years to find a complete answer to her chronic pain.
With stability in housing and health, Barbara has been able to focus on her recovery from substances and the things that bring her peace. She reads, sews, and looks forward to the art groups at Compass Point Village. She cherishes the relationships she has built—with her mother, neighbors, staff, and especially her Case Manager, Amanda. Barbara says she and Amanda “clicked like sisters.”
In their time working together, Amanda says Barbara has remained strong despite everything she’s been through.
“She’s been housed at Compass Point Village for almost two years because of her growth. That in itself is a huge accomplishment. Little or big wins for my clients and watching them grow is why I do this work. This opportunity to hear her story again and be a part of it makes me remember why I enjoy this job in the first place. Barbara is one of my many clients who keeps me motivated and happy to continue doing what I do.”
Amanda adds, “She can find joy in so many things, and sometimes she just giggles and laughs. Just the sound of her laugh makes me laugh.”
Barbara hasn’t seen her children in several years and holds onto hope that they will one day reconnect. Still, she’s proud of the progress she has made.
“I’ve learned to stick up for myself and stand up for myself, and let people know what I need,” she says. “I’m glad to have a place where I can be me. I’ve got a little more to go, but I’m on the way, and I’m happier now than I was a couple of years ago. If it wasn’t for Homeward Bound, I don’t know where I would be.”
Amanda and Barbara
Our measure of success generally is determined by measuring the percentage of clients in our permanent supportive housing programs who remain housed 12 months after placement. Given the many variables that impact chronically homeless clients, and consistent with other studies, we count as “housed” those who have graduated from supportive housing to other housing, those who move to health care facilities, those who have moved out of the area, and can no longer be tracked; those incarcerated, and those who have died. For example, at The Woodfin, of the 37 clients who have been housed over five years, 92% remain housed. Seventeen clients live at The Woodfin now; five have “graduated” to other housing; two have moved to nursing facilities; seven have died, and two have been imprisoned. Only four clients have been evicted.
