13 July 2015

Navigating the social services network as a homeless person is fraught with anxiety and can be overwhelming when you add in someone’s medical and legal issues. Rochester Area Services case management staff was able to help Eugene through the lengthy process and guide him on a path to independence.

Eugene came to Rochester Area Services’ Booth Haven at the end of February and was facing a number of barriers. He was in a wheelchair, had tested positive for a sexually transmitted disease and caseworkers learned that he had a felony conviction over 10 years ago. His criminal history significantly reduced the number of housing options for him, as Housing and Urban Development (HUD) funding would not accept people with a felony conviction.

While at Booth Haven, Eugene was able to work with the medical community and move from a wheel chair to a power scooter. Home health aides came in on a daily basis to work with him to increase his mobility. During his five-month stay at Booth Haven, there were visible signs of stress and depression over being in a shelter for such a long time.

An independent living housing opportunity finally came up in downtown Rochester.  With a centralized location for Eugene and rent that was affordable, an application was submitted and Volunteers of America agreed to accept him as a resident.

Utilizing the Solutions to End Homelessness Program (STEHP), a program from the NYS Office of Temporary Disability Assistance, Eugene qualified to have security deposit paid for by The Salvation Army. Moving out successfully also qualified Eugene for a move-out voucher from The Salvation Army’s Emergency Family Services and he was able to receive food bags there, as well as a voucher for the grocery store. 

As of July 1st, Eugene successfully moved out which was an encouraging moment for staff here at the Salvation Army as Eugene takes this new step.

Tags: Faces of The Army