Posted on: March 8, 2024
Source: RCD Newsletter March 2024
Four years ago, Victoria received a notice from her landlord that her rent was increasing by $250 and that is the moment when her struggles began. The increase was more than she could manage with her car payment and the vet bills for her three cats. At the time, she was working in San Francisco and commuting from her apartment in Corte Madera. Victoria had a long and successful career as an office manager and executive assistant, and she never imagined she would find herself priced out of the rental market. She moved in with a friend and a little later found herself laid off from her job.
“I just never thought I’d be homeless,” says Victoria. “I became homeless because of the cost of living.”
Over the past few years, she stayed with a couple of friends and a cousin, but in end she found her best and only option was to stay in shelters. She found navigating the resources available to people experiencing homelessness to be daunting, but she did her best to attend resource meetings, use the computers at the library, and connect with others. Thankfully, she was able to eventually find a home at A link to:Victory Village, an RCD senior community in Fairfax, where she could regain stability.
“I just knew in my heart that I wouldn’t be homeless forever,” she added. “I got the call the day after Christmas about this apartment. I was really glad to find this place. It is such a relief to have a place of my own.”
“Everyone here at Victory Village is so nice. They really are – and very helpful and friendly,” Victoria says. “I feel so secure, knowing my rent isn’t suddenly going to be raised by $1,000 and both Shaun [RCD’s Resident Services Coordinator] and David [Property Manager] are here if I need something.”
Victoria is thriving in her new home, receiving support from an In-Home Support Services (IHSS) health aide and recently adopted a lively and loving senior dog, Jake.
Source: RCD Newsletter March 2024
To learn about the project: VMWP
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