December 8, 2020  BY COMPASS CAREER SOLUTIONS

Velvet reached out to Compass for housing assistance because she and her partner were homeless, and sleeping in an alley in a borrowed camper. A variety of challenges included being evicted from their trailer, a poor rental history and past incarceration made the housing search daunting. Velvet was unemployed and convinced that she was unable to work in any capacity, based on her background and other factors. This left them without many options, given the requirement of property management companies requiring income equal to three times the amount of the rent. Nevertheless, Velvet was optimistic and eager to start working with Compass to find appropriate housing.  

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In November, their Supported Housing Case Manager, Joe, found a home for them. He advocated with a landlord for them and explained their situation. The landlord decided to let them move in early and pledged to apply the prorated rent toward their security deposit on December 1. This was good news and Velvet was excited to have somewhere to sleep that wasn’t the couple’s car or a hotel. 

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Velvet is getting settled in her new place, and is doing well. She has expressed interest in returning to work and has started working with our FCS employment program. She hopes to find work that allows her to showcase her personality and passion for helping others.