Home is More Affordable Housing

After growing up in Milpitas, Cathy left home at 16 and moved to Fremont, where she lived for 15 years. She secured a job at Bechtel Corporation but found that her BART commute was so expensive that she needed to move closer. So, first to Oakland, and then to Richmond, where life was even less expensive. But Cathy soon learned that in Richmond, her Alameda County health benefits were in jeopardy. Cathy is disabled.

Because housing costs soared during her time in Richmond, Cathy was unable to secure housing back in Oakland and arranged to rent a room from a friend in Hayward. On the day she was to move in, Cathy’s friend died, and the room was no longer available. Cathy was now homeless. All she could do then was go to a shelter. For 8 years, Cathy found herself between shelters and the streets, a significant challenge because her medication requires refrigeration.

The lack of affordable housing in the Bay Area made finding housing extremely difficult. “The complications navigating housing resources are mind-boggling and unthinkable,” says Cathy. It took two years of diligent research and extensive legwork for Cathy to learn the ropes.

Cathy attributes her ability to find affordable housing to the East Bay Asian Local Development Corporation (EBALDC) and United Way’s financial repair program SparkPoint.Through resource stewardship, partnerships and forward-thinking policies, Alameda County Housing and Community Development creates and supports innovations that address the county’s housing challenges.

At SparkPoint, a worker told her about a waitlist opening at Noble Tower. On the designated day, Cathy arrived at 5am and was the first person in line, armed with a letter of recommendation from her financial coach. Cathy got the apartment!

Reflecting on all that took place, Cathy is quick to say, “The odds of someone doing what I’ve done with my mental disabilities are just remarkable. I’m thriving, saving money, I have a great credit score, and I’m on the board of directors of a few organizations.”

Cathy is now a housing advocate, helping others find an easier path to housing. It takes the will and effort of ALL of us to get this done.