My name is Cindy and I’m a single mother raising 3 boys. We became homeless in
the year 2000 due to our building being condemned by the City of Oakland. We
were homeless for three years. We lived with my mother for ten months until
she evicted us due to inadequate living space for us. We stayed at the
Richmond Rescue Mission for 4 months until we were exited and back in motels.
At the beginning of our homelessness I met a woman; through a mutual friend,
named Mary. She gave me the phone number to the Harrison House Family Shelter.
The shelter was always full when I called. We were in a motel and I had no
place to go and no money. Carla, who’s a case manager at the family shelter,
told me if I can get to the shelter by 5:00 pm we would have a space. I knew
that if I didn’t change my life at that time, at that moment, that there was
no hope for my family and I. There are just a couple of shelter’s, in the bay
area, that take children over the age of 10. This was a dilemma for me.
BOSS gave me the opportunity to focus on recovery from drug addiction,
domestic violence and homelessness. We stayed at the Harrison House for 8
months until I had enough money in savings to qualify us for the McKinley
House, which is transitional housing. Our stay at the McKinley House lasted
just about 1 year.
I had been on Oakland Housing Authorities wait list for 4 years, there were
other areas I was on wait lists as well. Finally, I received my Section 8
certificate. I was determined to live in Berkeley and had my paperwork
transferred over to the Berkeley Housing Authority. I heard from various
people that there was no low-income housing available in Berkeley, but I
didn’t let that discourage me. I kept looking for what I wanted; against all
odds, but I was determined. Within weeks, like a miracle, I found a three
bedroom house on the Berkeley/Oakland border.
My family and I are so blessed to be in a house and have our own living space.
Its taken time for us to adjust from homelessness, it’s not easy. Sometimes I
have feared that I am going to lose my housing. Its taken time to know that
nobody is going to evict me and that we can live without feeling threatened. I
don’t feel that the experience of homelessness just goes away. Homelessness is
one thing we will never forget. It’s wonderful to know that a year has passed
since we’ve been in our home. There were many people that gave me strength and
hope over the years. Without their support and efforts who knows what may’ve
happened.
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