After a string of unfortunate events, U.S. Army veteran Samuel found himself with no hope left and nowhere else to turn.
Just as the COVID-19 pandemic was beginning, Samuel was laid off from his job with a large company. He was able to find part-time work as a checker at a local grocery store, but with significantly less income, he was no longer able to afford his apartment.
Thankfully, a friend offered Samuel a room in his house that he could afford.
Looking for a longer-term employment opportunity, Samuel changed jobs. Unfortunately, this position didn’t work out. In the midst of troubles at work, Samuel’s friend left to get married and moved out of state, leaving Samuel responsible for all of the rent.
With no job and climbing bills, Samuel quickly fell behind on rent and was given an eviction notice just before the holidays. Feeling like walls were closing in on him and he had no way out, Samuel felt hopeless and ended up being hospitalized.
A couple of days after Samuel got home from the hospital he heard a knock at his front door. Thinking that he was being kicked out of his house, Samuel was terrified to open the door. When he did open it, he found a police officer. The officer had stopped by to do a health and welfare check and was able to connect Samuel with a social worker. This social worker was quickly able to find emergency shelter for Samuel and helped him get on the list for transitional housing with Multi-Service Center (MSC).
Samuel stayed in a men’s shelter in downtown Seattle for a very short period of time. He was relieved to get a call that there was an opening in one of MSC’s veterans’ houses. To him, this meant that he would be able to sleep again and have a space where he could put some of his personal belongings. ”It was really hard to sleep at the shelter,” Samuel said, “some of the guys snored so loud that not even headphones helped.”
MSC owns over 600 units of affordable housing including two properties specifically for veterans. According to Washington’s Department of Social and Health Services 4% of veterans in our state experience homelessness or are unstably housed. MSC provides wrap-around case management and works alongside Veterans Affairs to help our veterans find permanent housing and long-term stability.
Two months later, Samuel has made great progress towards his goals. He is working closely with his MSC case manager to find stable work. One of his goals is find a roommate that he could share an apartment with once he has a full time job again. Eventually, Samuel hopes to save enough money to be able to move to Texas where the cost of living is lower and he could afford to buy his own home one day. He is so grateful for the opportunities that MSC has provided him and for those who give their support to make stories like his possible. “I don’t know what else to say other than thank you, I think those two words really say it best,” said Samuel.
