Dessie moved in her new apartment just in time for New Year’s. She had been on CASA’s waiting list for a very long time; several years. She is 58 years old.
While waiting, Dessie stayed with family or friends, until the time that she found an apartment she thought she could afford. She lived there for a while, but eventually got behind on her rent and was evicted.
Dessie went back to couch surfing and relying on family. After a time staying with her 30 year old son, he finally had to tell Dessie that with a wife and three kids to care for, he couldn't also provide the help his mother needed to live on her own. So Dessie spent the summer and fall of 2015 living in her car.
When Dessie finally made it to the top of the wait list and qualified for CASA housing, she raced to CASA's office with her application and all of her belongings. Then came the final wait, for the unit to become available. On the day she signed her lease, Dessie lost her cell phone and got a ticket. But when asked how she was feeling she said “If I could do a cartwheel, I’d do a cartwheel.” Tears were streaming down her face.
Dessie is in school for cosmetology now, hoping to finish the program and get a job so she can add some income to her $10k a year disability payment. She connected with the Green Chair Project to furnish her apartment. Her son and his family live close by, so she can visit the grandchildren. Then, when the day is over, Dessie reaches into her pocket, takes out her key and puts it in the door, so she can finally be in her own home.