Center for Urban Research and Learning
PATHWAYS TO STABLE HOUSING
Their research goal is to work with others. Not for others, and not on others, either. It鈥檚 a small difference that has a huge impact at the Center for Urban Research and Learning (CURL). Since launching in 1996 at Loyola, CURL has partnered with community leaders across Chicagoland to research the issues affecting local communities, including inequality, domestic violence, criminal justice, as well as employment.
A number of those projects have shone light on the countless situations that can leave and keep people struggling with homelessness. Most notably, with the Chicago Housing for Health Partnership at the AIDS Foundation of Chicago analyzed a new approach to policy called 鈥淗ousing First,鈥� the idea of first helping someone find a permanent and affordable home, before asking them to address other issues like employment, mental health, or addiction.聽In partnership with Chicago Alliance to End Homelessness, the City of Chicago, and major philanthropic stakeholders led by the Chicago Community Trust, CURL oversaw a team of researchers in 2009 to evaluate the effectiveness of . Other research projects looked at women and homelessness and aging and homelessness by partnering again .
In 2011, CURL, the Chicago Alliance, and other service and advocacy organizations partnered for a photography exhibit that featured images of those who were moving from homelessness to housing. Photographer Noah Addis captured portraits of 25 men and women to show a different perspective on Chicago's homelessness crisis.
LIBERIA FLOWERS
Housing Opportunities for Women
鈥淚鈥檓 an ex-felon鈥攖wo-time ex-felon鈥攁nd on disability. I鈥檝e been on disability since I was 17 and a half...I鈥檝e seen how it be, how it is to be rock bottom, sleep on benches, hang out in hallways, be around the wrong folks and people, and be in and out of the jail."
鈥�...Right now, the program I鈥檓 in is Shelter Care Plus Permanent Housing... I鈥檓 going to Truman College for GED classes...I come to any class that will give me a certificate and that I feel like I accomplished something, because the majority of my life growing up, I come from a dysfunctional family to where, I always wanted to accomplish things [but] I never got a chance to achieve and here [at HOW] I鈥檝e been achieving my goals."
鈥淩ight now, all I can do in return [for those who have helped me] is to show faith and prove to society and the people who fund this program, that this is best program to ever happen to a woman, to a young lady. And I just give it all 鈥榰ps,鈥� like Siskel and Ebert; I give it thumbs up.鈥�
ANDREA HALL
Staff member, Chicago Coalition for the Homeless
鈥淎 goal in my life is to let people know there are different faces of homelessness, and when they first meet me, people won鈥檛 think...that I was homeless.鈥�
CHARLES JENKINS
Volunteer, Chicago Coalition for the Homeless
鈥満诹厦� 1990, I got involved in Chicago Coalition for the Homeless. It inspired me. It woke up something socially conscious and just in me. It inspired me to get my life in order. So I went into detox and got myself clean and joined the 12 step program. I鈥檝e been an avid member since that time to this very day.
鈥淚鈥檓 not looking to do anything spectacular. Most of my life is behind [me] anyway, you know...Society will ultimately, hopefully, be able to encourage some of our public officials to be a bit people-concerned for a change. I don鈥檛 mean lobbyists or big industry you know, but grassroots, everyday people.鈥�
JOSE VASQUEZ
Volunteer, Chicago Coalition for the Homeless
In moving to stable housing, 鈥渢he hardest part was the transition from being down there sleeping on the sidewalk to actually having a bed, a room. I wasn鈥檛 accustomed to that. It took me about two weeks to get accustomed.鈥� Because, with homelessness, what we found out is that there is no one thing, there is no over-encompassing ball. [In terms of solutions, it鈥檚]... just all kinds of different things that have to come together to make that happen.鈥�
VALERIE GALVAN
Housing Opportunities for Women
鈥淚鈥檓 working harder now to get my other children back home with me. Rebuilding my relationships with them and my family . . . from a life of darkness to a life of light. You have to stay focused, keep it positive all times, and don鈥檛 give up. That鈥檚 the main thing.
鈥淚 can鈥檛 express myself to how grateful I am to be where I am at today, with all the opportunities that were given to me. I could have gotten worse. I could be dead or anything. Coming from the streets, I am doing real good compared to where I have been.鈥�
SIOBHAN THOMAS
Housing Opportunities for Women
鈥淚 would tell someone in my predicament, I would say, don鈥檛 think of things in such a negative way because if you think negative, negative will always come to you. If you think positive and you keep your faith in God...you will make it. Sometimes God make you go through things for when you do get it you appreciate it more. So that鈥檚 all I have to say, just keep your head up and keep trying to survive and you will make it.鈥�
CHARLENE OWENS
Housing Opportunities for Women
MORGAN SAUNDERS
Housing Opportunities for Women
鈥淲ell, my grandmother had died in 2003, and we couldn鈥檛 afford to keep our housing anymore. But she, her check, her disability check, had brought in money. And my mom had recently lost her job. So we moved into the basement of one of my step-grandma鈥檚 house, and it was really hard. I mean, I love her now; it鈥檚 just some people you can鈥檛 live with. She made life kind of difficult for the both of us. And we had been to a shelter like when I was like younger, like around five."
鈥淭en years from now I hopefully want to have a career as a photographer; I would really love that. I just want to love my job, love what I do, and make money from it. I鈥檓 definitely not going to be married because I don鈥檛 want any kids. But, I really want to be financially stable. I want to probably come back to HOW and help out any way I can.鈥�
DAVID GRANBERRY
Consumers Commission
Question: What kind of advice would you give someone looking for stable housing?
鈥淛esus. Man, there鈥檚 no one thing that you can say that will be the be-all and end-all. Like Underdog used to have his super energy appeal or whatever, and that covered everything. There鈥檚 nothing like that.
鈥淚鈥檓 trying to figure that out. As a member of the Consumers Commission with the Chicago Alliance to End Homelessness, I feel it is our duty to try to be like that one-stop shop . . . where anyone could contact or come to, no matter what your needs may be. Because, with homelessness, what we found out is that there is no one thing, there is no over-encompassing ball. [In terms of solutions, it鈥檚]. . . just all kinds of different things that have to come together to make that happen.鈥�
CONSUMER'S COMMISSION
The Consumers Commission, a key advisory body of homeless service consumers, organized by the Chicago Alliance to End Homelessness meets in June 2010.
KEITH RICHARDSON
Member, Chicago Alliance to End Homelessness Consumers Commission
鈥淵ou know I was on the streets for two years. Like I said I went through the drug thing. You know? Cocaine. Those two years on the street taught me a lot about myself...[When I started working with housing service providers] it was amazing what kind of people I met. The help that I got. You know?鈥�
鈥淚鈥檓 living in the place of my dreams. I鈥檓 at Belmont and Lake Shore Drive. Right off Lake Shore Drive...I was patient and I was telling someone in the church about it, they said not only were you patient, you were faithful to God; he knew where he wanted you.鈥�
AUSTON LUNDY
Resident, St. Leonard鈥檚 Ministries
鈥淚n 鈥�07 I was charged for a possession case, when I came home in 鈥�09, the apartment I had was gone, because I was incarcerated...鈥�
鈥淸With the help of St. Leonard鈥檚] I got my high school diploma. That鈥檚 when they sent the job developer there, at the Michael Barlow Center, and helped me get the job at the CTA. I鈥檓 still kind of hungry for knowledge and everything else. I appreciate everything I鈥檝e learned while I was here in St. Andrew鈥檚 Court, but I want to make room for the next man. I don鈥檛 want to be here too long, you know.鈥�
HALBERT WILLIAMS
St. Leonard鈥檚 Ministries
鈥淚 was surprised at all the things that [St. Leonard鈥檚 Ministries] had to offer... if you didn鈥檛 have family or anyone to support you. They had a clothing room, they had employment preparation training, they had [a] computer lab to help you in your computer literacy, building maintenance, and culinary arts. And anger management with psychologists, and drug treatment.鈥�
鈥淵ou know when you鈥檙e incarcerated, you know people, they turn to religion, faith, because those things help you while you鈥檙e incarcerated to give you a healthy mental perspective to deal and cope. But once you鈥檙e released, you know, you鈥檙e free to move around, get back involved. See, people tend to forget, I don鈥檛 want to forget... And I鈥檝e got a chance to build a more personal relationship with God, and understanding, and come face to face with my failures, and the things I鈥檝e done. I have to admit I鈥檝e done that, you know. I can鈥檛 be irrational or in denial, saying you know, 鈥業 did this because of that,鈥� I own up, I take responsibility.鈥�
鈥淚 know how easy it is for individuals to give up on a specific population, you know, count them as no good, or they鈥檙e never going to change; I just want to always remain hopeful and always reach out because I know how much it meant for me. What if someone gave up on me? What if someone said, 鈥楧on鈥檛 waste your time on him, he鈥檚 just going to mess up again.鈥� But they didn鈥檛, thank God. And I got it, I understand. I haven鈥檛 arrived, but I鈥檓 wiser now.鈥�
LASHAUN VIVIANS
Grace House
鈥淚t鈥檚 like unconditional love by... the staff at Grace House. The love is better than sometimes your family treats you and they strangers. They just help, ain鈥檛 nothing behind that, no motives or nothing.鈥�
鈥淚 wouldn鈥檛 change nothing [about] the life I have now, because I鈥檓 so peaceful. Even though I had to go through all the things I went through, I鈥檓 just content. I don鈥檛 get too comfortable with nothing, because it make you lazy, but I鈥檓 just content, and I wouldn鈥檛 change my life for nothing.鈥�
EDITH HEAD
Grace House
鈥淭he Coalition for the Homeless helped me out a lot. They showed me something that I never thought. They have these trips to Springfield, where we advocate with various senators and representatives. We even got to a chance to take pictures with the Governor. It was like, wow, we standing along [with the Governor]. I don鈥檛 know if you鈥檝e ever seen anyone advocate in Springfield where they sit in the House, you know the room. We were along this rope, like a stars rope. We鈥檙e trying to get their attention, and surprisingly, each one that we called came to us like that, and everyone was still. It was just amazing. And the way they spoke to us; you can tell that some of them really care. When I鈥檓 standing there, they understand our situation. We even had a few that sat us down in their conference room and talked to us as equals, you know, that鈥檚 all we just want to be, just like everybody else.鈥�
EMMA TAYLOR
Staff, Deborah鈥檚 Place
鈥淲hen I was first provided housing at Deborah鈥檚 Place, 鈥渢hey pulled a lot [out] of me and it鈥檚 interesting that they found. They saw something in me that I did not see. And I still don鈥檛 see what they saw in me.鈥�
OLIVIA TOWNSEND
Deborah鈥檚 Place
DORISE RICE
Deborah鈥檚 Place
鈥淢y downturn was in 2005, when my son was diagnosed in February with kidney failure. And then my brother turned around 2005, day after Thanksgiving and passed. Financially, I lost my job and everything, I was evicted.鈥�
鈥淸My advice to folks who are homeless now is that] you鈥檙e never homeless and you鈥檙e never hopeless when you come to Deborah鈥檚 Place. You鈥檙e never, never alone. You always got spirituality, you got family here. So if you feel like you鈥檙e out there and have nowhere to go, feel free to come to Deborah鈥檚 Place because the doors will be open.鈥�
PAM GORRO
Deborah鈥檚 Place
鈥淚 was a live-in care giver and she passed away. Never thought in a million years that I鈥檇 end up in a shelter. And it鈥檚 been two years in August. It鈥檚 been a hard road.鈥�
鈥淚鈥檒l be honest. When I was on the other side of the fence, I鈥檇 look at homeless people...[and say,] 鈥楬eck, what is wrong with these people, why don鈥檛 they go out and get a job? Why they doing this, why they doing that?鈥� But behind this side of the fence, [it鈥檚 a] whole different ballgame. Because you see and hear and you meet people. It鈥檚 not always in black and white. [With] some of them it is; you know, the booze or the drugs is more important than getting a house, okay, those people. But there are people who had a house, had foreclosure, lost their jobs, got sick, or couldn鈥檛 make a payment, and they end up here. And I鈥檝e met a lot of people like that, so it鈥檚 not just. And I try telling my friends that, and I think they see it now. 鈥機ause all my friends have houses and good jobs.鈥�
PEG TWOHIG
Deborah鈥檚 Place
CARMEN VELAZQUEZ
Deborah鈥檚 Place
鈥淭his is a really awesome place. Women sometimes when they come here, they鈥檝e been through so many things...There鈥檚 damage from outside...鈥�
鈥淚t takes people to help you to get to where you need, and [to understand that] every day that you wake up, you can change anything in your life. Sometimes it don鈥檛 happen overnight, but if you begin to take that first step鈥攖hat you鈥檙e willing to take steps and to get to where you want to鈥攑eople will see that in you and help and assist you...You have to let go and trust again, because you have to trust somebody.鈥�
鈥�...Right now, I am in a situation where I have to take care of my mom. My mom, she has dementia, and I don鈥檛 know if she has five years to life. So, I sacrifice my life for her. That鈥檚 why I鈥檓 getting an apartment. I want to just nurture her and love her because she鈥檚 never had love before. And that鈥檚 the reason that I ended up here [after] being a drug addict and all kinds of things, because my mother didn鈥檛 have, never experienced love. So I want my mother to know love before she passes.鈥�
TAMERYA (TAMMY) RHEYNARD
Deborah鈥檚 Place
Question: Where do you see yourself five years from now?
鈥淚t would be nice to go some place where people like me.鈥�
CAROL ORELLANA
Hilda鈥檚 Place/Connections
鈥淚t is less stressful in Evanston. I love Evanston... Yeah, you have to struggle to make ends meet, but who doesn鈥檛? But I like Evanston, it鈥檚 nice and quiet. It鈥檚 less stressful for me.鈥�
VICTOR MORGAN
Connections
鈥淚 would like to stay in Evanston because it would be like a benefit for me, away from Chicago. Because that鈥檚 where all my problems seem to keep starting at, right there. So I figured if I got away it would be better, and it has been. Since I left there, I haven鈥檛 had any problems. Everything is just mooth here鈥︹��
鈥淚t鈥檚 peaceful. It鈥檚 like a peaceful atmosphere. I don鈥檛 hear all the time, no gunshots and fire trucks and police cars. It鈥檚 just a peaceful atmosphere. And knowing that I can get up at any time of the day or night and walk over to the lake and just clear my head and clear my mind, you know?鈥�
NORTH LAWNDALE DEMONSTRATION
Organized by the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless, this June 2010 demonstration in North Lawndale, a community devastated by disinvestment, sought to underscore the need for more affordable housing in low-income communities. As part of the Sweet Home Chicago campaign, supported by more than 75 organizations across Chicago, pressure is being put on elected officials to pass an ordinance that would dedicate 20 percent of tax increment funds to affordable housing. If this were in effect in 2009, $99 million would have gone toward housing that year alone.
DEBRA mdITH
West Suburban PADS
GORDANA AND DENIJAL ZUGAR
West Suburban PADS
鈥淲e survived [the war in Sarajevo], but we came after a while because we lost jobs, condo, everything... I never, never, in my mother鈥檚 dream, was thinking that really would happen one day... But in Sarajevo we are so mixed. So many mixed marriages. My marriage was mixed. I鈥檓 Christian, my ex-husband is Muslim. And so many mixed marriages, we couldn鈥檛 believe that it happened.鈥�
鈥淸After we arrived in the United States, domestic violence became another problem. I thought I would die shortly. That day, my ex-husband made [a] mess in [the] house and I was very scared and I didn鈥檛 know what to do... I lived 3 months in shelter for domestic violence.鈥�
鈥淚 finished school for dental assistant for 6 months. Right now I鈥檓 working two jobs... I work now like housekeeper in private home, only 16 hours, and 12 hours in Jewel Osco. Both jobs are physical.鈥�
鈥淚 am American, already four years. I鈥檓 very proud. I鈥檓 very, very proud because I worked so hard to get that.鈥�
Breaking down these stereotypes is another important facet to CURL鈥檚 work. More recently, CURL has worked with the Center for Housing and Health to collect stories from those who were being resettled from the viaduct under Lake Shore Drive to permanent housing. Interviewing people before and after finding a permanent home highlighted the difference between just surviving and planning for a future.
鈥淚t all comes back to human dignity,鈥� said Teresa Neumann, university-community research coordinator, on . 鈥淵ou are a person. You have an important story to tell. You are an expert of your own life and your own experience. That鈥檚 where University knowledge meets community knowledge鈥攁nd how do we bring that all together?鈥�
about the Pathways to Stable Housing exhibit, the photographer, and the community partners involved, including the Chicago Alliance to End Homelessness, the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless, Housing Opportunities for Women, St. Leonard鈥檚 Ministries, Deborah鈥檚 Place, Hilda鈥檚 Place/Connections for the Homeless, West Suburban PADS, and the Alliance to End Homelessness in Suburban Cook County.
