After sleeping on city benches and trains for years, 37-year-old Yousef* finally feels safe now that he has a room of his own at Eden House, one of VOA-GNY’s permanent supportive housing programs. He was offered the room through Street to Home, our Housing First pilot that moves people experiencing street homelessness directly into housing.
“I finally feel relaxed, secure,” he says. “I don’t always have to worry and watch my back all the time.”
Born and raised in Brooklyn, Yousef lived with his large, tight-knit family, until a death in the family broke them apart. Yousef’s father became incarcerated, and his mother lost her job. Yousef was sent to live with his uncle, where he was exposed to gang involvement and drugs. Without a positive role model, he dropped out of high school.
“I really raised myself as a young child,” Yousef says. “I didn’t have anybody to like tell me what I should be doing.”
As a young adult, he spent time in jail and at rehabilitation programs for substance use. “I lived and I learned from all my mistakes,” he says. “I still make some mistakes.”
Despite working restaurant and delivery jobs, Yousef struggled to find stable and affordable housing, leading him to live on the streets. In April 2023, an outreach team approached Yousef about Street to Home while he waited in line at a church soup kitchen.
At Eden House, VOA-GNY staff helped him secure a housing voucher and access medical care. Yousef worked with a vocational counselor to find employment and participated in financial literacy support groups to continue his wealth-building journey. He hopes to learn a new trade and eventually have children.
“For my future, I would like a family,” he says. “But raise them better than how I was raised.”
*Name and photo changed for safety and privacy.