FALL 2021 | In This Issue Providing Stability in an Unsteady World Q & A with Our Stabilization Advocate Our President on Impossible Choices Introducing a New Holiday Card
NEWS
Join Us for Funny Women…Serious Business, November 9th
Providing Stability in an Unsteady World For the guests of Rosie’s Place, surviving a pandemic when you’re barely surviving poverty can feel impossible. Finding stability is a struggle for poor women who are just one sick day away from job loss, one missed paycheck away from eviction. The tumult of housing loss can quickly lead to unemployment, homelessness and illness.
Q&A
MICHELLE BELL
STABILIZATION ADVOCATE Michelle Bell’s role has grown and transformed over the 16 years she has been with Rosie’s Place. She first began working in our supportive housing for women living with HIV/AIDS. Several years later, she became an Advocate working with guests on-site at Rosie’s Place. And eventually, she brought her expertise to the role of Stabilization Advocate, in which she supports women who are housed to maintain their stability. What kind of help do we provide through the Stabilization program? For women who are newly housed, elderly or housebound, living with disabilities or struggling with illness, we assess their needs and develop a network of supports to keep them in stable housing and health. Because for most of our guests, the two are intrinsically tied. If your health is at risk, then so is your housing and vice versa. How did the pandemic affect your work? For so long, we couldn’t visit women in their homes. So, we got creative and found other ways to connect. We dropped off groceries, masks and cleaning supplies, picked up and delivered medications and emailed and texted if there were questions with paperwork or bills. More than anything, we were on the phone a lot. Most of the women I work with live alone and the isolation was a daily struggle for many of them. We talked more than ever, and I think that was a comfort to them in a time when so much was unknown for all of us. And now, as we slowly emerge from the pandemic, we are making sure our guests know their rights as tenants. We don’t just help women with their immediate needs, but we also give them the support and tools they need to advocate for themselves over the long-term. The pandemic really exacerbated the struggles our guests were already grappling with like hunger, mental health issues and debt. It set them back on many levels and we will work with them for as long as they need us, to help them move forward once again. Why do you think our Stabilization efforts are so successful? It’s a unique model. Visiting with women where they live, allows us to build rapport with them more quickly. When a woman welcomes me into her home and trusts me enough to share what she might be struggling with, I take that responsibility and my commitment to her seriously. The guests I work with know they can count on me and on everyone at Rosie’s Place. What has kept you at Rosie’s Place all these years? I love that we have remained true to our mission and it’s informed and inspired all the growth our programs have made. My path—from working in our supportive housing to Advocacy and then Stabilization—is a perfect example of how we’re always looking to see how we can be of the most help to the women who need it most.
Rosie’s Place has always been a safety net for women trying to keep their housing. We know that if a woman comes to us in need of help with her rent, she needs more than a check. And we know that we can help. Whether it’s healthy groceries from our Pantry or expert legal or mental health support—our programs and services are designed to address not just the urgent symptoms of instability, but the root causes, as well. Now more than ever, as the pandemic continues to bring more upheaval and loss, housing truly is healthcare. And we are a lifeline for women living on the edge, providing more help than ever before. Over the past year, our team of multilingual Advocates has conducted 34% more visits with 87% more women. Our Advocacy Helpline allows women to access help with whatever they need from wherever they are when they call
us. This means more help with back rent and utility arrearages, moving and storage costs, mental health and recovery support and expert housing, legal, and job search advice. And as a national eviction crisis looms, our efforts to keep women and their families in their homes have grown by 72%. In order to meet the critical needs of our guests, our work evolved during the pandemic. In addition to meeting with women one-on-one in person, we now also connect with them remotely, online and over the phone. Striving to find innovative and impactful ways to help poor and homeless women to not only survive— but to stabilize and thrive is what Rosie’s Place was built on. We have a history of it. Almost 20 years back, we saw that a great many homeless women who secured housing, were unable to maintain it. This made clear for us that simply attaining housing is not an overnight solution to the months and years of challenges that may cause a woman to become homeless in the first place. Chronic mental illness, physical disabilities or language barriers can jeopardize a successful tenancy. Essential household responsibilities such as paying bills, housekeeping or mediating disputes with landlords and neighbors can become overwhelming and ultimately sabotage a woman’s housing.
We realized we could provide these all too often isolated women, with the myriad supports they needed to remain housed. And in 2004, we launched our Homeless Prevention Initiative to bring the resources of Rosie’s Place to the homes of women in need. What began as a single staffer with a small caseload is today our Stabilization program that helps almost 100 women annually, to stay housed and healthy. Our Stabilization Advocates (like Michelle Bell, who you can read more about in our Q & A piece) meet with each woman in their caseload, and develop a support system that might include referrals for mental health treatment, substance abuse treatment, job placement, housing supports and primary health care. Rosie’s Place is also able to provide direct financial assistance to prevent eviction and utility shut-offs, healthy groceries and even assist with transportation and the purchase of household essentials such as cooking utensils and furniture. At Rosie’s Place, we know that stability isn’t achieved when a lease is signed. But rather, that’s an important first step in a process—and for many women, it’s a long one. Our guests know that we are here to support them through all the pitfalls and progress that journey brings.
Rachel’s Story For nearly a decade, Rachel and her husband shared the responsibility of caring for their daughter with disabilities, who requires 24-hour care. Rachel worked nights so she could be with Gloria during the day and in turn, her husband worked days to cover the evenings at home. But two years ago, when their marriage fell apart, Rachel was left on her own to manage her daughter’s care. She moved with Gloria into a one-bedroom apartment in a new city. Without the financial and caregiving support of her husband, it was difficult, but Rachel pushed forward. She found a job as a medical billing assistant and secured in-home medical care for Gloria. Stability seemed within reach. But then the pandemic hit and Rachel’s hours at work were drastically cut. She became overwhelmed and afraid, as her bills began to pile up.
She also worked with our Employment Specialist and secured a new full-time medical billing assistant job. Our Legal Advocates are helping her to finalize her divorce and enforce a child support agreement. And when Rachel described the limitations of Gloria’s wheelchair, we were able to underwrite a new electric one that will give Gloria more comfort and independence.
When a neighbor told Rachel about Rosie’s Place, she at last felt hope. She called our Advocacy Helpline, and we were able to provide her with financial assistance so she could catch up on her rent and utility bills. Rachel began utilizing our Food Pantry every week for healthy groceries and household essentials.
At her new job now for almost a year, Rachel has caught up on all her expenses. She is saving up for a bigger apartment near a school that can accommodate Gloria’s complex health needs.
“I was so relieved,” Rachel said. “The fear of not being able to keep the electricity on for Gloria’s treatments or worse than that, be evicted, had kept me up every night for months. Finally, I could breathe.”
“Rosie’s Place made me believe that I can do more than just get by,” said Rachel. “I want Gloria and me to get ahead; to have goals and a future to look forward to, together.”