‘I’m Home’ After 25 Street Years

“our client is both fiercely independent and visibly vulnerable…

…She is elderly, suffers from seizures, scoliosis and other health conditions. Despite these roadblocks, she has lived the past 25 years on the streets of our inner city.” That’s ‘Sally’, a former SCS client, recently housed at Westmount PSH. The welcome and acceptance at Westmount is what Emily Hargrave, SCS Recovery Coach, wanted to highlight in this housing success story.   

Sally came to SCS regularly with prescription pain meds for her severe scoliosis and was on Emily’s caseload since she joined the SCS team over a year ago. The challenges to finding housing for Sally were major and ongoing. Visiting with her street family could mean missing curfews. She didn’t have transportation or a phone so could miss or be late to housing appointments. Programing to curtail her drug use didn’t work as her use centered around morphine for pain management. She sometimes needed help with cooking which housing sources might not offer. And she experienced seizures so needed someone to check in on her.  There had been multiple housing interviews with no success. Finally, with another winter coming, Sally was ready to try find a home again.

 An appointment  was set up at the Westmount PSH. Sally was nervous. They’d been to so many places that didn’t work out. But walking in the door, Sally saw GSS staff she already knew. There was Brooklyn, a special former Recovery Coach, and Laura, a Case Manager, who knew Sally from GSS Shelter days. Also, a long-term friend of Sally’s was a Westmount resident.

 Emily said, “I never saw anyone try to sell themselves like Sally!” It became clear during Sally’s sales pitch that the staff already knew her complex needs and were excited to have her as a tenant! This wasn’t yet another interview. Sally was accepted on the spot. Staff would help Sally with cooking if she wanted to try out a new recipe and the 24- hour team would check on her health. Another welcome surprise was that Sally could have visitors and bake with her grandson and her daughter in the common area. Having a space to build a stronger relationship with her family wasn’t an option at any other site.

 The Westmount team didn’t just furnish the unit for Sally. They stocked her fridge and pantry with essentials, the bathroom with toiletries, and her kitchen with new dishes and cookware. On her move-in day, the cozy new comforter she requested was waiting for her to unpack.

 Emily concludes:

 “With so many housing options that miss the mark for our clients, we (George Spady) decided to build an option that fit, and I couldn’t be prouder of the staff that work there and the company I am a part of. Westmount PSH is an example of how we can tailor our services to fit the needs of the vulnerable population by leading with compassion and understanding. Thank you everyone for your hard work and dedication to those most in need.”