Homelessness and housing instability aren’t always obvious. “From at least the outside perspective we looked like we had everything together, but we had been struggling really, really hard.” Katie, Justin, and their infant son are the newest residents at Our Home, a Volunteers of America Minnesota (VOA) permanent supportive housing community in Mille Lacs County, Minnesota.
As youth, Katie and Justin both experienced homelessness, couch-hopping for well over three years before moving into a camper in Central Minnesota. They spent an entire summer, fall, and winter in the camper with no running water, no electricity, no sewer, and no heat or air conditioning. On top of it all, Katie was pregnant. Justin did what he could to keep them afloat financially, working two or three jobs at a time, but it was not sustainable.
In October, Open Doors for Youth (a drop-in resource center for youth who are experiencing homelessness or housing instability) alerted Katie and Justin to an opening at Our Home, encouraging them to see if it would be a good fit for their growing family. At the time, Katie and Justin didn’t necessarily want to take the help, figuring they could resolve their housing struggles on their own. But in February, with their baby due in just a few months and living in the camper with no utilities, they decided to apply for housing at Our Home.
Katie and Justin moved into their apartment at Our Home in May, just three weeks before their son was born. “Once we were [at Our Home] it was like a huge sigh of relief...I don’t know how else to describe it, other than just like, a wash of calm. I don’t have to worry anymore,” shared Katie. She said that in just the few months they’ve lived at Our Home, her mental health has improved significantly. Katie attributes this not only to having stable housing, but also to the “extras” that make Our Home a supportive community.
Like all of the families at Our Home, Katie and Justin are supported with flexible, voluntary services to help them build financial health and housing stability. Their unique Family Development Plan (created in partnership with VOA staff) helps them connect to needed services and guides them toward accomplishing their personal and family goals. In addition, Our Home is permanent affordable housing, meaning that they can continue living there for as long as the program aligns with their needs.
Katie and Justin have been set up with county resources, so that Katie can focus on taking care of their son until he is a year old (after which she plans to go back to college), and Justin will be able to find good work in the area while pursuing his GED. The family was also able to bring their two elderly cats with them, who are beloved family members and provide emotional support for Katie. Being allowed to have pets is uncommon in affordable housing, and Katie says having them with her “immediately brought down so much relief.”
On top of all that, Katie and Justin are grateful for the staff and their neighbors. It was a leap moving to an unfamiliar town where they didn’t know any of the families they would be sharing a building with, but they have found a welcoming community where neighbors lend each other tools, invite them to backyard barbecues, and genuinely care about one another. “They’re just so sweet...[and we’re] really glad that this whole place is a family environment and I have the opportunity for [our son] to be able to grow up with another family and some other kids around.”
While sharing their story, Katie and Justin’s sense of relief, gratitude, and hopefulness was palpable. They laughed with relief when sharing that their first meal in their new home was a frozen pizza -- “the best frozen pizza we’d had in so long!” -- and about how incredible it felt to take a shower for the first time in several months.
Deciding to seek help and putting in the hard work to get their family to this point wasn’t easy. Katie and Justin’s determination and gratitude shines through, as does their love for their son and commitment to providing a stable home for him. Katie glowed while sharing, “It absolutely brightens people's day when they see him and I’m just so glad that I can do that for other people, just as much as this program has done that for me."