AMHA 2021 Annual Report

EMERGENCY HOUSING VOUCHER SUCCESS STORY A tenant had made some mistakes in the past and had a criminal record that haunted him for the past 15 years. Since then, he has stayed out of trouble and was desperately trying to make a life for himself working dead end jobs and wondering where he would lay his head at night. He had been denied housing time and time again due to his background and unstable income. He had been homeless for over 15 months and was spending most of his paychecks staying at hotels to keep safe and warm. Eventually money ran out and he began staying at the Haven of Rest. During this time, he also found out that he was going to be a father and the mother would be unable to provide for their child. This is when he heard about the Emergency Housing Voucher program and completed an application. Today this gentleman is housed in a two-bedroom unit, in a safe neighborhood, and was recently awarded full custody of his child.

During a check-in phone call, this tenant eagerly stated that his life is forever changed now that he has the voucher. He says he now has an opportunity to be the father he wants to be to his son. He looks forward to being able to take his son out in the yard and play ball when the weather permits. He also wants to thank everyone who made this opportunity possible and urges us to keep up the good work. When asked, the tenant's final comment on his story was "Life looked very dark until the emergency housing voucher came along."

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