Archive for January, 2010

We want to take time to highlight some aspect of homelessness that our friends and supporters may not know about in a regular “I Had No Idea” post. The truth is that the face of homelessness is changing, and most of us would be surprised to know how much we have in common with people who are either facing homelessness or who are at risk of becoming homeless in the near future.

FORECLOSURES AND HOMELESSNESS…In October 2009, the New York Times featured an article about the growing number of Americans who have been forced to turn to shelters after surrendering their homes to foreclosure.

One woman they interviewed named Sheri used to run a shelter for homeless people. She never thought in a million years that she would one day check into a shelter herself.

Prior to the housing disaster and economic crises of the past two years, foreclosure was rarely a reason for people to be homeless, but now, according to a 2009 report by the National Coalition for the Homeless, at least 1 in 10 homeless people had lost their homes to foreclosure.

In our state, due to high unemployment along with the real estate bust, the incidents of homelessness due to foreclosure are even higher.

What often comes as a surprise is that many people who are homeless due to foreclosure were actually renters whose landlords fell behind on their mortgage payments.

Renters are particularly vulnerable because they are thrown out of their homes on short notice (most don’t know anything is wrong until the foreclosure notice goes up on the front door). Often they are living on lower income and have little savings.

Most people stay with friends or relatives as long as possible, even sleeping in their cars for months at a time before finally landing in a shelter. Many are humiliated and frustrated, not sure where to turn next.

When surveyed by the National Coalition for the Homeless, one woman wrote:

“This should not be happening. We were the middle class and now we are poverty-stricken. We had two cars, money in the bank and a reasonable mortgage. My husband is an electrician and simply cannot find a job anywhere. On September 12, 2008, my husband’s company sent everyone home. The company could no longer afford to pay their employees. We have had no money coming in since then and absolutely no prospects. Our savings is all gone . . . our home is being auctioned off. So much for the American Dream.”

This aspect of homelessness is a surprise to most people. Do you know of anyone who’s experienced this? What surprised you most about the problem? Does this change your perception of homelessness?

Please pray for our neighbors who are losing their jobs and struggling to keep their homes.

Steve McRee
Executive Director, Shepherd’s Gate

Creative commons photo credit: respres

Today’s Woman of Courage is Jana, a young woman who graduated from our Brentwood women’s recovery program this past October along with 5 other women. Because of the kindness of donors and volunteers, the encouragement of SG staff, and the grace of God, she has made big changes and is on her way to a new life.

Like many women who come to Shepherd’s Gate, Jana’s story turned tragic at a young age. As a young child, she saw things that forever shifted her ideas about what was “normal.” She saw abuse and was abused. An older cousin took advantage of her in the worst way possible when she was only ten years old.

Drug use and promiscuity soon followed. When she was 14, Jana quit school and moved in with a man who was 19, only leaving after he was unfaithful several times. Then she began using meth.

After leaving the man’s house, Jana moved back in with her grandparents and re-enrolled in school, eventually graduating. No one knew she was using drugs except her uncle, who was secretly manufacturing meth on the property and supplying her habit. It wasn’t until police raided her grandparents’ property — the only people who had really been there for her — that Jana kicked her habit and was clean for two years.

The next decade was filled with ups and downs — and the downs were very destructive. For years at a time, Jana would get off drugs and into a semi-stable relationship — even attending church and trying to keep it together for her two young boys— but when her dysfunctional relationships crumbled, so did her resolve, and she’d return to using drugs again.

For Jana, the breaking point came when she was trying once again to get things turned around. She was getting involved at church, and taking her two young sons along with her, but her boyfriend had lost his job and was beating her.

Jana’s cousin Eli saw her at church and he said he knew something wasn’t right about her. “My heart dropped when he said that to me because I knew he was right. My cousin had become an awesome man of God. It made me feel like I needed to get out of the situation I was in.”

Someone told Jana about Shepherd’s Gate’s programs for abused women in California, and she began calling once a day, every day, trying to get into our Brentwood or Livermore women’s shelter. Every day she would quietly pack up a few more belongings. When her boyfriend found out, he beat and choked her so violently that she ran from the house as he threw rocks at her.

We thank God for these women who successfully completed the program to graduate in 2009!

Jana arrived at Shepherd’s Gate the very next day, and entered the Shepherd’s Gate Recovery program. It wasn’t easy, but she faithfully worked her way through our 12-step program, parenting classes, counseling, and life-skills classes. She says, “Here, I’ve found a relationship with God and a healthy relationship with my family. On a Wednesday night at church I saw my cousin Eli again and he said I was starting to look like me again. It made me feel so happy! I thank God every day for bringing me to Shepherd’s Gate.”

Who is your Eli? Have you ever had a friend or family member say exactly what you needed to hear right at the moment you needed to hear it — and it helped make a big change in your life? Those moments are powerful, and we would love to hear your stories in the comments section below!

Carla McRee
Associate Director, Shepherd’s Gate