More than 15 individuals or families recently have been given permanent housing as part of the San Benito County Homeless Coalition’s “Helping Hands” program, which partners with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Continuum of Care program.
The program helps to provide permanent housing for the homeless in San Benito County and other neighboring counties. One of those individuals is a woman named Tess.
“I’m just a regular person,” Tess said.
Tess, whose full name is Tessanee, is 32 years old. She was born in Chicago and has multiple learning disabilities. She has been been homeless most of her life, living with her now deceased mother on the streets – until May 2013.
“It feels good” to have a home, Tess said. “I knew someone was coming for me.”
Tess came to Hollister in January from Hayward on a bus and quickly became friends with another member of the homeless community in Hollister – a woman named J.S., who requested anonymity for this story.
“I got sick from days by myself in the cold weather,” she said. She and J.S. were living in the other woman’s car when Tess suddenly had a seizure and had to be taken to Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital, where she was diagnosed with laryngitis.
After she was released from the hospital, she was taken in by the Homeless Coalition.
“We didn’t know anything about her,” said Shauna Hoggard, the shelter supervisor for the Coalition.
Because of her learning disability, Tess received an SSI – or supplemental security income – award from the government. As a result, she qualified for housing under the “Helping Hands” program.
“I wish my mom was here to see me,” Tess said.
Although the timeline is a little murky, Tess found out her mother had passed away in Hayward after Tess had gotten separated from her mom. Her mother had tried to get a hold of her daughter before her death but it was to no avail.
“Mom was so ill” before she died, Tess said, explaining that her mother had diabetes and other health issues.
“My mom’s in heaven right now,” Tess said. “She knows what’s going on.”
Tess and her mother had been kicked out of the apartment they shared together in Hayward and had ended up on the streets.
“We were looking for places to go,” Tess said.
She said she felt she was treated “a little bit different” at other shelters in Hayward and other areas, where she said they didn’t provide food. But she felt at home and welcome at the Homeless Coalition.
“They treated us (homeless) with respect,” she said.
Those sentiments were echoed by her new roommate and fellow homeless friend, J.S.
“The Coalition is kind, caring,” J.S. said.
J.S. is 49 years old and was born in San Jose. She had been a resident of Hollister for 13 years living with her family until the unthinkable happened – her daughter was murdered.
J.S. and her family experienced shock that eventually led to PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder). For J.S., the shock of her daughter’s death led to homelessness.
“It was kind of scary,” she said.
She drifted from shelter to shelter, often sleeping in her car and renting rooms when she could, where she eventually met Tess. J.S. and Tess were put up in a room by a former employee of the Homeless Coalition for a while.
Eventually, J.S. found her way to the Homeless Coalition, and after two and a half years of homelessness, she was placed in permanent housing with Tess.
“Nothing was ever permanent” when she was homeless, J.S. said.
Because of her PTSD, J.S. was able to qualify for permanent housing in the “Helping Hands” program.
J.S. is happy to have a home, but she feels a responsibility to all the other homeless in the community.
She remembers what she was told by the former employee who gave her a place to stay: a call to “pay it forward” to others.
“The homeless in the city and county need a home,” she said passionately.
For now, J.S. is especially happy to be near her son, who lives five minutes from her new home. She said he calls her his “life raft.”
“I can use the restroom, take a shower, and not be afraid to go to sleep,” J.S. said. “I am very grateful.”
