Former homeless residents and staff describe how McCreesh Place, a supportive housing program, helped them stabilize through medical care, counseling, and community support. Caring for chronically homeless people in traditional systems costs roughly $6 million over two years; McCreesh Place does it for less than a third of that.
I know it's hard sometimes to think that anyone will notice. I know it can feel so alone. I know there's times when you wonder whether you can make it through, but I know you can if you try.
Oh, I used to have to sleep outside, and I would sleep on a sleeping bag and had one to cover up with. And I stayed on the steps of a church on North Tryon. I stayed on the street for a long, long time. It was one day I had a real Bad nervous breakdown. Since I've been here, they helped me get back on track by going to the doctor, you know, taking my medications. So it's, it's a good place to be.
People aren't homeless because they don't have a place to sleep. People are homeless because they're not able to navigate the culture in the way that most of us are. And so to have them be successful in housing, we want to provide them with wraparound services that will help that stability.
I'm a teacher. I was a teacher. When I just started suffering from depression, I was in a very dark place. To be very frank with you, I was suicidal, hospitalized many times. My wife divorced me while I was in the hospital, so I had to get out. So I literally was on the street. I just packed up my stuff and was on the street, and I actually was staying in a car.
Hi, good to see you again.
All right.
People shouldn't be afraid of what they don't understand. And I think that's what's so difficult about homelessness, is that, you know, people make assumptions about how people ended up on the street, and they have no idea that every person out there has a story.
It makes fiscal sense. It costs approximately $6 million to care for 75 chronically homeless people over a 2-year period, whereas here at McCreesh Place, which is run by Supportive Housing Communities, it costs less than a third of that.
I had a rough childhood.
It came from my mother. I don't know why she—
it was like she never cared that much about me. She called me all kinds of names.
Shoot!
My mental illness actually started when I was a kid because when I would play with my little toy soldiers or whatever, you know, our kids talk to them. Mine would actually talk back. They were my friends.
I know it's hard sometimes to think that anyone will notice.
I know it can feel When I met him, he was so honest with me, and he told me what he had been through, and I felt like, you know, some people won't tell you everything about them. And he was straightforward with me from the start. He's just amazed me so much as to what he's trying to accomplish, and he's doing it. He's really doing it, and I'm so proud of him.
Changed my life.
McCreesh saved my life. I don't really think if If I hadn't got in here, I'd probably be dead today. If you want to help somebody or an organization that really and truly works, MacCreesha is the place to do it.
