This Bay Area senior went from sleeping on BART to living and thriving in permanent supportive housing.
For James, home is more than just shelter—it’s the key to living his life again. During the pandemic, he was pushed out of his apartment, falling back on public spaces like BART trains and airports. It was a stark contrast from his earlier life, when he worked an entertainment job that he loved for 15 years.
But James’ story didn’t end there.
“Permanent housing gives you the safety you want. You can live a dignified life, and I’m so grateful for that.”
He got connected with a case worker and was offered permanent supportive housing. This affordable residency houses 95 formerly homeless seniors and provides wrap-around services onsite, including healthcare.
Soon his health and happiness exponentially improved, and he found a sense of security and belonging in a community that asked: “What can we do for you?”
James is now looking forward to aging with stability and spending his golden years living life to the fullest. He’s one of many whose lives have been transformed by permanent supportive housing.
When we invest in proven solutions like this one, we can scale them to meet the needs of today’s Bay Area.
The vast majority of people who live in permanent supportive housing — 86% — stay housed for the long term. That’s because permanent supportive housing helps people stabilize and get healthy.
James’ story was told in collaboration with MidPen Housing as part of the Housing Justice Storytelling Initiative. MidPen Housing is a trusted non-profit developer, owner, and manager of high-quality affordable housing with over 9,000 homes for low-income families, seniors, and special needs individuals throughout Northern California.