Jenna knows what it’s like to start over with almost nothing. At 64, she has survived incarceration, homelessness, Hurricane Helene, and a serious car accident. Each time she began to regain her footing, another setback threatened to undo her progress.

When Jenna was released from prison, she was determined to turn her life around and to do things the right way.

But she had nowhere to live.

She was estranged from her two sons, and both of her parents had passed away while she was incarcerated. Like many people leaving prison, she faced enormous barriers to moving forward. A prior conviction can severely limit access to employment, public benefits, and housing. In fact, a 2024 study found that one in four people released from North Carolina prisons entered unsheltered homelessness—not a shelter or temporary housing, but the streets. [i] 

Even with the difficulties posed by her prior conviction, Jenna did eventually find transitional shelter in Asheville, where she quickly met her goals. Three days later, she had a job. Three months later, she had a car. Just a few weeks after that, she moved into her own apartment.

Then Hurricane Helene destroyed it. 

Suddenly, Jenna was competing for housing alongside thousands of other Western North Carolina residents. Her prior conviction made finding another apartment nearly impossible. After she could no longer afford a hotel, she and her dog, Daisy, began living outside. Then a head-on collision totaled her car and left her with ongoing physical limitations, making an already impossible situation even harder.

“It was just downhill from there. I couldn’t take care of us, so we started living outside. That’s a horrible life.” 

Everything changed when Homeward Bound Street Outreach Case Manager Nicole met Jenna and told her about Homeward Bound’s Rapid Rehousing program, which had expanded to help Buncombe County residents who lost housing due to Helene. Jenna didn’t believe she would qualify because of her criminal record.

“The only way I got the first apartment was through an individual person. I could talk to them. These days everything is through corporations. You can’t explain to people “this happened all these years ago.” It’s not personal anymore. I had the money to live somewhere. I just couldn’t get in.” 

Jenna was approved for short-term rental assistance and support through Homeward Bound’s Rapid Rehousing program. Today, she and Daisy have been living in their apartment for more than eight months. 

Jenna is still recovering from her car accident and works remotely as an accountant. She’s also rebuilding her relationship with her oldest son, who has a family of his own and sends her photos of her three grandsons. 

“My son told me, right before Christmas — and I never thought I’d hear him ever say these words — he said, ‘I’m proud of you.’ He said, ‘You don’t ask for nothing, you got here doing what you need to do.’ And that was worth it all. That was worth it all.” 

Since 2006, Homeward Bound has helped more than 2,800 individuals move into safe, stable housing. This summer, please consider making a tax-deductible gift to help more people like Jenna build a stable future. 

With gratitude,

Dr. Simon Dwight

Chief Executive Officer

Homeward Bound of WNC

[i] The Council of State Governments Justice Center. “Home After Incarceration: A Reentry Housing System Assessment in North Carolina” (2025)