Welcome Home: Valerie and David
Family can be a source of support and strength in life’s most challenging moments. For Valerie and her son David, this bond kept them together when they fell into homelessness. After David’s father passed away in 2020, Valerie was left as a single mother of a son with special needs, struggling to afford a home. These circumstances lead them to live in an RV.
Louie, a member of LAHSA’s Homeless Engagement Team, was responding to an LA-HOP request when he met Valerie and David. He learned that they had family in Arizona, and, as a solution, he enrolled them in a reunification program to reconnect them with their relatives. They moved to Arizona; however, a few months later, Louie found them living in their RV again. It turned out that Arizona was no longer an option for them.
Valerie was initially hesitant to accept help, mainly because she did not want to be separated from her son since she was his caregiver. This situation posed a challenge for Louie since shelters usually separate clients by gender. Louie stayed determined to help them transition off the streets.
Fortunately, through the support of the LA County Department of Mental Health, Enki, PATH, and the Salvation Army, Valerie and David moved into a shelter. Although they slept in separate rooms, they were never far from each other. Since they were document-ready, this environment provided them with a safe place to stay while searching for a permanent home.
Valerie and David were matched with a spacious one-bedroom apartment. Valerie is focused on her health and building stability in their lives, while David is excited to start job hunting now that he has an address to use and a place to get ready for work. This apartment offers them a fresh start in life.
Valerie and David’s journey shows the resilience of a family during difficult times and the power of community support. Through the collective efforts of Louie and organizations like the Department of Mental Health, Enki, PATH, and the Salvation Army, Valerie and David are now housed and on a path to a more stable and secure future.
