Sylvia

Sylvia has been on her own since she was 16 years old. She’s used to struggling, she tells us, so living with a friend in an unsafe neighborhood run by a slumlord, scrambling to pay bills, is nothing new for her. She’s lived in shelters in the past, and her biggest goal at the start of the program was to avoid going back.  “I don't like it. I done did it before and they have bed bugs.” When she started receiving the $1,000 per month she told us she “made sure I had somewhere over my head”. Her goal was to pay her rent and bills for a couple months, and to hopefully move to a better neighborhood. 

She was able to use the money to find a place to live on her own. However, Sylvia continued to struggle to find a job. Between her arthritis and back problems, not having a car, and having a criminal record, she wasn’t having any luck. “It’s just kind of hard, but it’s not like I’m not trying…Before I caught a background, I was able to find a job quick. But after I caught a background, nobody never calls me back.” Three years later Sylvia is still unemployed, without a car, and with the program now ending, she is back living with a friend. 

The cash increased her possibilities, and without it “I wouldn't have nowhere to live.” But for Sylvia, the cash does not take the place of a well-paying job. Sylvia took steps toward achieving her goals but needed more help overcoming her systemic barriers.