Joseph had a home, his family, and a secure job. Life was good.
That life took a turn when Joseph’s girlfriend, the mother of his three young children, developed medical challenges which made her unavailable to the family. Joseph became the primary caretaker of his children, two of whom had serious medical conditions, requiring many doctor visits and specialized care. To support them, Joseph had a full-time job as a security officer, but he missed a lot of work to tend to his children’s medical care. When he didn’t work, Joseph didn’t get paid, and he eventually fell behind in rent.
Confronted with mounting family, home, and work pressures, Joseph experienced a parent’s worst nightmare when his girlfriend’s condition worsened and his three young children were removed from his home and placed in foster care. Soon after, Joseph was evicted.
Now a single father, Joseph was laser-focused on getting his kids back. Without a stable home, however, this was going to be very difficult. He spent his days searching for a new apartment using all of the resources available. He spent his nights working, often on just a few hours of sleep. He would often sleep at work prior to the start of his shift or in his truck, spending weekends with his brother.
In late 2018, Joseph was referred to CONNECT in Chelsea, one of Metro Housing’s colocation sites. There he met Blanca Gomez, Colocation Case Manager, and the two of them worked together to find a new home and bring his family back together.
“Joseph would do anything for his kids,” says Blanca. “. Together, we applied for every housing opportunity available. He was doing his own research and attending parenting classes.”
Blanca learned of a three-bedroom apartment. Joseph quickly applied – and was chosen!
“When you are not in the situation that I was in, you tend to take so much for granted,” says Joseph.
Joseph recently regained custody of his 5-year old son and is hopeful that his other son and daughter will soon be reunited with their family.
“Metro Housing was so important to me during this process,” added Joseph. “I don’t even want to think about where I might be without their help.”