Joseph came to AOP’s “Lighthouse Project” from a street outreach in March of 2009. A decision was made to place him in our permanent housing as a house manager because of his past experience as a corrections officer. Joseph had ended up homeless over three years ago as a result of multiple health issues. He had suffered four major strokes and eventually lost his rental home in Ellenwood GA. Joseph had been in many shelters throughout the Atlanta area and had received services from many local churches. He had also been housed by other homeless housing providers in the past. Joseph had been fighting to receive his disability for over five years when he came to AOP but believed that he would be approved soon. He was a very positive individual and refused to let his homelessness shake his faith.
In June of 2009 Joseph was finally approved for his disability. Because of the hard work of his attorney he was able to collect back pay all the way back to his original application date. This is highly unusual and illustrates the validity of his claim. Soon after Joseph received his award letter AOP moved him to his own one bedroom apartment in SW Atlanta. Joseph’s case manager discussed the possibility of him purchasing his own home but Joseph said he was not ready to do that because he was not sure he could maintain the property.
After about ten months AOP came across a two bedroom house in Decatur GA that they believed would be perfect for Joseph. The property needed a lot of work because it had been vandalized like many other vacant homes in the area but it had much potential. After taking a realtor and Joseph to see the property, in April of 2010 the home was purchased and the renovation began. The home was given a new roof, new windows and doors. The kitchen and bathroom were upgraded with fresh fixtures. The whole house was completely painted and new carpet was installed. Joseph moved into his new home on May 15, 2010 and he could not be happier. The property and the renovation are completely paid for and Joseph’s only expenses are the utilities, property taxes and lawn maintenance. His overall expenses are less than his small one bedroom apartment and now he has an extra room for his art studio which he is very proud of. Joseph is able and willing to share his story about his journey from homelessness to homeownership at any time.
