Ray
Client Profile: Ray
For the last five years, North Beach Citizens (NBC) has confronted the crisis of homelessness in San Francisco head-on. Its approach has been to develop a neighborhood-based program that tailors itself to the individual needs of its clients. In the process, NBC has built a legion of collaborators, supporters, and admirers from the streets of North Beach to Washington Square Park to the basement of St. Peter and Paul’s through the corridors of City Hall.
The following is an interview with one of NBC’s recently housed clients, Ray.
Question: How long have you been homeless?
A: Since 1996.
Q. Before becoming involved with North Beach Citizens, where were you living and what were you doing?
A: I occasionally rented a room on Broadway or Kearny. I alternated between North Beach and other areas because the police force you to keep moving all day long if you are homeless. I was trying to stay invisible during the day. I took out lots of books from the library and would ride BART for 6 to 9 hours each day from one end of the line to the next until they made that illegal.
Q. How did you find NBC?
A. I knew I needed a miracle. Hope was an obligation, not a realistic endeavor. I was still in decline when a storeowner friend of mine suggested going down to North Beach Citizens. In October, 2004, I showed up and talked to Kristie (Fairchild, NBC’s Executive Director). She told me I could leave some of my stuff at NBC and Brady (McCartney, NBC’s Office and Case Manager) put me on the waiting list. Right before Christmas, their caseload thinned a bit and they intaked me. I immediately got an NBC photo I.D., which was very helpful for the hotels and other places, a mailbox, voicemail, access to a phone. I was able to cleanup everyday. I had access to clothing that had been donated by the community. NBC also helped me clear up my police record in two counties. And they helped me continue with the SSI process and navigate the system so that when long-term housing became available I would be able to afford it. NBC seemed skilled and resourceful to deal with my seemingly endless list of problems.
NBC was a refuge. It felt like heaven with food, warmth, and nice, non-judgmental people. I am amazed by the staff’s commitment—Kristie, Brady, Theresa. I was not a quick fix.
Q. How did you become housed?
A. I had been on the San Francisco Housing Authority and the Section 8 waiting list for 4 years, keeping track of my number. My name got to the top of the list and the process really began. I had to document and show proof for everything I had said in my application. It took NBC and me 3 months to put everything together. It is absolutely impossible to do on your own if you are homeless or low-income. But now I am permanently housed.