Cam first moved from Detroit to Ypsilanti in hopes of putting her son into a better school district. She could not afford to live on her own and moved in with her eldest daughter until she found out that her daughter was HIV positive. Not wanting to be a burden to her care, and recovery, she moved out and placed her son with her elderly mother in a tiny dwelling that only had enough space for the two of them. Eventually she found herself on the streets, sacrificing her own safety and security for her sons. She is eager to tell you that she first visited the Shelter Association in 2005. Her memory is exceptional as she recites the names of previous employees as if she had a conversation with them yesterday. Occasionally, Cam would stay with her daughter on weekends, but most days she would walk the streets, never panhandling, barely eating, and getting colder with each passing day as winter approached. She heard about the Warming Center at the Delonis Center. While she was happy to get in out of the cold, eat a meal, and shower, she was afraid to store any of her belongings in fear of them getting stolen. Fear is what kept her awake at night on the harsh, cafeteria floor. Fear is what paralyzed her mentally. Case managers empowered Cam to end her own homelessness by participating in our Income to Savings to Housing (ISH) Program; a program that sets asides and saves 70% of a client’s income to secure first and last month’s rent. After the winter shelter season ended, SAWC staff discovered that Cam suffered from a gambling addiction that made it hard for her to save to find a permanent home. If she did not lose her money to gambling, she offered it to her family for support. She eventually was able to find a rental unit on Baker and Packard. Sadly these arrangements only lasted for 3 months as she explains the accommodations weren’t very good. Mold saturated the walls, and when it rained the mold would cover her and her belongings. She later found another property on Cross Street but felt so unsafe due to drug dealing and gang activity onsite. Her next property, she tells you, was such a tiny room that she could not put a bed in it. She had to walk sideways to get to the bathroom and the bathtub would back up so high that water would rise to her knees. Social services visited and declared the place not livable due to the water damage. She says she probably would have stayed there if it weren’t for the broken steps that caused her to take a tumble. After her accident, she could not climb the steps to get back to her apartment so she lost the rental. For years, Cam went back and forth between SAWC, Michigan Ability Partners, Peace House and Mercy House for case management and housing support to find what she considered suitable living arrangements. She lived with hoarders, addicts, friends and strangers. With each story she tells, every now and again she would talk of family and the short stays she would have with them. She even moved out of state to live with cousins that offered her rent for free if she would babysit. When she explains again that this was not “the best situation for her”, like most, you might find yourself getting a little frustrated, angry or judgmental. It’s easy to question why she can’t manage to live with family or make rental properties work out. You might think how fortunate she is to have family to stay with as most experiencing homelessness don’t have the family support system that she has. She will go on to tell you that while living in Akron, Ohio she would come back to Ann Arbor often to meet with her doctors and get her medications. When asked what medications she is taking, Cam will casually tell you that she is a schizophrenic as if she was talking about the weather. This is the light bulb moment. While schizophrenia affects as little as 1% of the U.S. population, it affects nearly 20% of the homeless population making it difficult for people with this disorder to maintain relationships let alone the responsibility of maintaining a home and stability. Long term mental facilities no longer exist, leaving ill-equipped families to care for the mentally ill, leaving the streets or prisons as viable housing options. With all her housing ups and downs, Cam never gave up advocating for herself and the staff never gave up on finding housing for her. She cries when she reflects on how hard SAWC fought for her. Staff convinced her to enroll in a Payee Services program that directly pays her bills and rent. Now that she is housed, she is more determined than ever to keep it that way. The staff at Shelter wants to reduce her chances of housing instability by applying Critical Time Intervention practices. Current staff members continue to check in on Cam, making sure she is taking her medications, visiting her doctors and accessing community and mental health supports. She continues to visit the shelter to participate in our most successful volunteer program; Art Break Studio and to share a meal and hope with other clients. She is working on managing her anger and increasing her self-esteem by participating in GED training. After taking the GED exam she hopes to enroll in Washtenaw Community College. She has gained the knick name” Auntie Cam”, for her survivalist skills and her ability to get answers.