Larry's Long Road Home

Pictured: Edith Blanco (Program Manager), Larry, Vice Mayor Kamei, and Bea Ramos (VP of Emergency Housing)

It’s been 16 years since Larry has lived in a home of his own, but that is about to change. With the help of a housing voucher, Larry will move into a one-bedroom apartment of his own. Home at last.

After completing a 14-year prison sentence, Larry didn’t have the support or resources for safe, secure shelter. With nowhere to go, he found himself living in his car near a Walmart for an entire year. That’s when he met HomeFirst’s outreach team. They conducted a vulnerability assessment that placed him in the queue for housing, and one month later he was offered a place at Mabury, one of HomeFirst's interim housing communities.

It became more than a roof over his head. He cooked meals he shared with other program participants, went to the flea market across the street, and kept up with his favorite sports teams: the San Jose Sharks, the Dallas Cowboys, the San Francisco Giants, and the Golden State Warriors. He was also persistent in his effort to find a permanent home, meeting regularly with his case manager to ensure his goal would become a reality.

And it has. After about a year, Larry moved into a one-bedroom with a balcony. With an Exit-to-Housing kit provided by generous donors, he had everything he needed to create a real home. Larry’s journey from prison to homelessness to permanent housing shows the power of second chances and the impact of support.